How to supplement calcium for children properly?

Eating lots of bone broth and taking calcium supplements... does not help children grow taller. On the contrary, it can be harmful to the kidneys if too much calcium is taken.

Dr. Hoang Kim Thanh, Director of the Center for Nutrition Education and Communication, National Institute of Nutrition (Hanoi), many people think that simply giving their children a lot of calcium will prevent them from getting sick.rickets. This is not necessarily the case. This micronutrient has its own absorption mechanism.

Calcium must have the role of vitamin D to be used in the body.. This micronutrient is like a central controller, whether calcium is allowed into the bones or not, then calcium is allowed in. Therefore, to prevent rickets and absorb calcium, there must be enough vitamin D. Similarly, to treat rickets, vitamin D must first be used, said Dr. Thanh.

According to the doctor, there are 3 sources of this vitamin including:daily food, sunshine and drink. The main source of D is sunlight, which converts inactive vitamin D under the skin into active form. Therefore, to prevent rickets, it is very important to let children go out in the sun - expose them to early sunlight for 15-30 minutes every day.

To prevent calcium deficiency, children need to sunbathe properly and eat foods rich in calcium... Illustration:PN

In fact, sunbathing for children has not received adequate attention. In many localities, many mothers still maintain the habit of abstaining from children for the first 3 months, keeping them in dark rooms and not letting them go out in the sun. Children in urban areas currently have a rate ofvitamin d deficiencyhigher than rural children.

In addition, the main source of vitamin D in the diet is from products of animal origin, including eggs, milk, meat, etc. For children, eggs and milk are very balanced and good products. Mothers can feed their children one egg a day without any problem.

However, having vitamin D but not enough calcium to put into the bones is not good. The problem is how to supplement enough, what source is absorbed. Boiling bones, eating calcium granules seems to provide enough but in fact that calcium is poorly absorbed. The source of calcium that the body can absorb effectively is in nature such as shrimp, fresh fish, meat, eggs - organic calcium.

"Not justdrink calcium, getting a lot of calcium into the body is good. Like anything, too much is not good. The body cannot absorb it," said Dr. Thanh.

According to MSc. Le Thi Hai, Director of the Nutrition Consultation and Examination Center, National Institute of Nutrition, children with vitamin D and calcium deficiency will suffer from rickets. If children fall into the group at risk of lacking these micronutrients or suspect that their daily diet does not provide enough, supplementation is necessary. However, how to take supplements must follow the doctor's instructions, and should not be taken on their own.

Excess calcium leads to fatigue, loss of appetite, kidney stones, high blood pressure..., premature bone ossification can cause children to be short. Meanwhile, excess vitamin D can cause children to lose their appetite, be tired, vomit, have thick periosteum, and in some cases, they can have mental retardation and intellectual disability. In some cases, too much vitamin D can cause kidney failure and death very quickly.

Many parents only care about taking calcium but forget that important sources of supplementation that children can easily absorb are from milk, food, etc. Among them, seafood must be mentioned. In addition to being rich in vitamins and protein, it is also rich in minerals, including calcium.

According to Dr. Hai, from the 6th month, babies can eat seafood, any fish is fine, but salmon is even better. When starting to eat, only eat 1 teaspoon of minced fish or shrimp, then gradually increase the amount. From 7 months old, babies can eat all kinds of food like adults, only the quantity and preparation are different.

Shrimp is a food rich in protein and calcium. From the 7th month onwards, mothers can feed their children freshwater shrimp and sea shrimp. Crabs are a food containing high calcium content, so children should eat them regularly to provide calcium.

When taking calcium supplements, take them in the morning or at noon (preferably in the morning) one hour after eating.

According to VnExpress.net - NT