Vitamin D Deficiency in Kids

Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) raised the recommended intake of Vitamin D for children from 200 IU to 400 IU per day.  Although Vitamin D is good in developing strong bones and teeth, increasing studies have shown that a vitamin D deficiency is contributing to  autoimmune diseases, cancer and diabetes (as adult studies have shown).

You can go to their website at www.aap.org to get all the details and they are suggesting that all older kids and babies get 400 IU of Vitamin D per day if they are drinking less than 1 quart of Vitamin D fortified milk or formula.

You might be wondering why natural sunlight and foods that they eat aren’t enough.  Dr. Frank Greer, chairman of the AAP Committee on Nutrition, and a coauthor of the new guidelines says, “It’s very difficult to say exactly how much sunshine a chld needs at any point to make sure he’s got high enough levels of the vitamin.”  Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are the best sources of Vitamin D in food.  Unfortunately these aren’t always welcomed with open mouths from our kids!  Dr. Greer says that even though most milk is Vit-D fortified, a child would have to drink 32 ounces of it per day to get 400 IU.  So ask your pediatrician for their recommendation on the best way to supplement Vitamin D in your child’s diet.

Tagged as: Children's Health, Vitamin D, vitamin d supplements, vitamin supplements