Kids Need More Vitamin D
November 17, 2008 by Marcie
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
The latest news on Vitamin D is that kids need more. The previous recommendation (from 2003) from the American Academy of Pediatrics was 200 IU of vitamin D daily. Now they are saying that kids need 400 IU’s.
Dr. Frank Greer states that this could have life-long benefits.
Vitamin D helps build strong bones and prevents rickets (a common disease in developing countries and in institutionalized children like my son who was very borderline). Although rickets is uncommon in the US a recent study estimated that 40% of US infants and toddlers are deficient in Vitamin D.
The recommendation is for infants to take a vitamin drops the first few days and then for the first year.
It takes four-eight ounce glasses of fortified milk to get the 400 IU so your children would be swimming in milk if you tried to use just diet to get the recommended dose.
Try a multivitamin (one without sugar and corn).
A lot of adults are vitamin d deficient as well. IMO, the best way to get vitamin D is through enough sun exposure.