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Vitamin D is essential for a baby's he althy bones, as well as for its overall proper development. Unfortunately, only 10% of vitamin D receives the right dose. children in Poland.

About the importance ofvitamin D for a childlearned about two befriended mothers. Dorota noticed that her one-year-old son became more irritable. It also worried her that Kuba's constantly sweaty head was near the back of the head. On the other hand, Małgorzata, mother of six-month-old Julka, heard during a periodic visit to a pediatrician that the pace of the growth of the fontanel in her daughter was too slow. In both cases, it turned out that they are the beginning of rickets, the cause of which isvitamin D deficiency .

Vitamin D for bones and heart

Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines and reduces their excretion in the urine. And because these minerals are the building blocks of bone, vitamin D (calcitriol) plays an important role in the development of your baby's bone tissue. It also affects bone density in adults. It is even believed that calcium may be more important than calcium in preventing osteoporosis.

Vitamin D is produced by our body itself, but it needs basic ingredients for this.

But the beneficial effects of calcitriol do not end there. Together with calcium, it has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and the heart, strengthens the skin, and soothes inflammation. It regulates insulin secretion, and thus influences the appropriate blood sugar level, stimulates the bone marrow to produce defense cells. Research also confirms that it prevents certain types of cancer.

Where to find vitamin D

Cholecalciferol - the so-called vitamin D3 - is produced in our skin under the influence of the sun. We also derive it from food of animal origin, eating sea fish, butter, eggs, milk and chicken liver. The diet also provides ergocalciferol - the so-called vitamin D2, formed in plants exposed to the sun.

Vitamins D3 and D2 are converted into the calcitriol described above in the human liver and kidneys. So if the body gets too little of these substances, it won't make as much calcitriol as it needs. And this may have serious he alth consequences, especially dangerous for the developing young organism, as it may cause rickets.the baby had more dairy and fish. And let's not forget the role of the sun. In summer, a few minutes of sunlight exposure (e.g. under an umbrella) to the baby's mouth and hands is enough to receive a daily dose of vitamin D3.

What are the effects of vitamin D deficiency?

Important vitamin D drops

Unfortunately, the younger the child, the more difficult it is to naturally provide him with an adequate amount of this vitamin.

Remember that dairy products can be a valuable source of calcium, but will not provide your child with enough vitamin D. To cover 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D, your child would need to eat e.g. 6.25 kg of Gouda cheese or 14 cooked eggs.

Usually you have to give him a special preparation. In the first year of life, 400 units per day are recommended. But this is an individual matter and only a doctor can determine the correct dosage for your child to prevent a vitamin D deficiency or - equally dangerous - overdosing. He will take into account its weight and height, and check the size of the fontanel. He will ask if the baby is breastfed or formula-fed, and what kind. Note: Formula-fed babies usually do not require additional vitamin D as it is added to the formula.

Dangerous excess of vitamin D

Vitamin D is really easy to overdose.

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of delayed child development.

Taken in too much, it acts as a poison on the body. Symptoms of vitamin D overdose are:

  • nausea
  • diarrhea
  • weight loss
  • increased urination
  • excessive sweating
  • persistent itchy skin
  • muscle pain

Therefore, vitamin D can only be prescribed by a doctor. But you also need to pay attention to its content in over-the-counter multivitamins. For example, one sachet of Vibovit covers a child's daily requirement for this vitamin.

Natural vitamin D cannot be overdosed

Under the influence of the sun, our body can produce as much as 80 percent. the dose of vitamin D he needs. Diet provides the rest. But neither eating nor being in the sun can overdose this vitamin. Food products contain it in very small amounts. And the one that is formed in the human skin as a result of sunlight, is produced only in the necessary amount. Our body is able to adapt its production to its needs.

Vitamin D deficiency: worrying symptoms

Symptoms that may indicate vitamin D deficiency and developing rickets.

  • systemic: apathy, tendency to constipation, sweating, weakened muscle tone (its expression is, among others, a diffuse "frog's belly"), delayed physical development, delayed teething;
  • bone: - early - softening of the skull bones, delaying parietal overgrowth, thickening on the border of cartilage and bone ribs (these symptoms disappear after treatment); - late - that is permanent deformations: square skull, chest deformities, curvature of the spine, varus and valgus of the limbs (these changes are irreversible).

These symptoms are usually seen between the ages of three months and two. To prevent them, make sure that your child receives a dose of vitamin D appropriate for his age. Only a doctor can do that!

Important

Vitamin D dosage for newborns and infants

  • until the end of the 6th month of life - 400 IU / day (10.0 µg / day) - vitamin D supplementation should be started from the first days of a child's life, regardless of the diet (breast / formula milk);
  • from the 7th month to the 12th month of life - 400-600 IU / day (10.0-15.0 µg / day) - depending on the dietary sources of vitamin D;

Vitamin D dosage for children and adolescents

  • from 1 year old to 18 years old - 600-1000 IU / day (15.0-25.0 µg / day)

The dose depends on your body weight. Supplementation should be used in the months of September - April or throughout the year, if in the summer months it is not possible to ensure sufficient skin synthesis of vitamin D.

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Child's he alth