Vitamin D is very important for a child, as its deficiency can lead to problems with the musculoskeletal system at an older age. Some mothers, having learned about this, rush to the pharmacy for another jar of an artificial drug with this organic compound. However, this is not necessary. Only a doctor can prescribe this vitamin, because sometimes the harm from it can be more than good. Today we will find out what consequences a lack of this element in the body can lead to, whether it can be given to all children and in what dosage. We will also determine in what forms of release the drug with this organic compound is sold, and up to what age it is advisable to give such funds.
Role in the body
Whether to give a child vitamin D, only the mother decides with the attending doctor. But everyone should know about the importance of this element. So, a sufficient amount of vitamin D guarantees:
- Muscle growth,bones.
- Strengthening the immune system.
- Strong teeth.
- Prevention of rickets.
- Great heart work.
- Fight cancer cells.
- The smooth functioning of the thyroid gland.
- Excellent blood clotting.
What can a lack of this organic compound lead to
Lack of vitamin D in children can cause the following negative effects:
- Lack of appetite.
- Slow growth of teeth.
- Bone deformity.
- Decreased calcium levels, resulting in rickets.
- Hyperexcitability.
- Anxiety, fearfulness.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Problems with internal organs.
- The appearance of bald patches on the back of the baby's head.
- Developmental delay.
- Curvature of the legs.
- Sour smell of sweat, ammonia "flavor" of urine.
- Fontanelle enlargement.
Does everyone need to give
When asked if a child needs vitamin D, some pediatricians say no. In Soviet times, all babies were given fish oil. Now medicine has changed, doctors began to think differently. Some doctors do not consider it necessary to specifically buy this vitamin from a pharmacy. Other pediatricians, on the contrary, prescribe it to prevent the occurrence of rickets. Therefore, there is no definite answer to the above question. Mothers must trust the pediatricians assigned to their children and already with theirto discuss the need for taking fish oil or another drug with a specialist.
Your baby will need vitamin D if:
- He started showing signs of rickets.
- The family lives in the north.
- The baby is bottle-fed.
- While walking, mom uses baby sunscreen for her baby.
- The newborn is swarthy. The fact is that in babies with dark skin, vitamin D is poorly produced.
- They don't walk the baby, they don't go out with him.
- The family lives in a large city with a polluted environment.
Intake of an organic compound for babies up to 12 months
Vitamin D for children under one year pediatricians prescribe often. However, parents should not mindlessly run to the pharmacy for the drug. You can talk with the doctor, discuss with him your pastime with the baby. Tell that you walk daily with the baby on the street, breathe fresh air, do not close the face of your son or daughter from the sun. Also, be sure to inform the pediatrician if you often travel out of town with your baby, to the country, for example. After all, clean air will in no way interfere with the retention of sunlight and the synthesis of vitamin D.
And if the doctor listens to you and analyzes the situation, then, of course, he will not insist on artificially obtaining this element.
But if the mother really rarely goes outside with the baby, then it is advisable to prescribe vitamin D. Today, the pharmaceutical market offers attentionparents have a great choice of funds with this item.
Expediency of supplementation after 1 year
Pediatricians prescribe vitamin D to patients in different ways. Until what age to give this supplement to a child, only the doctor determines, based on many factors: living conditions, skin color of the baby, etc. Many doctors recommend taking this vitamin up to 2 years. However, some experts believe that babies do not need to drink an artificial supplement after 1 year. After all, children at the age of 1 already walk, their mothers no longer hide them under hoods, so boys and girls receive the necessary dose of vitamin. In addition, if up to 1 year old the diet of newborns is monotonous and the crumbs that are bottle-fed do not receive this element, then after 12 months, children eat almost everything. Their food becomes varied, rich in various microelements, including such an organic compound as vitamin D. Children up to what age are usually given this element? Pediatricians try to prescribe it up to a maximum of 3 years. After that, the kids are already prescribed other drugs - complex drugs.
Issue form
So you've decided that extra vitamin D for your baby would be a good idea. When you go to the pharmacy, you will hear from the pharmacist the question of what form of release you need the drug. But you do not know anything about him, although you should inquire about it in advance. So, vitamin D for a child is produced in three forms:
- Alcohol solution.
- Dragee.
- Oil solution.
Dosage
- Premature babies - 8 thousand IU per day.
- He althy full-term babies - from 2 weeks to 500 IU per day.
If you need to cure rickets, then use an oil or alcohol solution. It is better to use the first form of the drug, since in the second case there is a high probability of hypervitaminosis. In this case, you need to take 1 drop daily for a month.
Vitamin D2 is prescribed for softening bones. The dosage in this case is 3 thousand IU for 1.5 months. It is also prescribed for insufficiency of the parathyroid glands, for bone diseases (up to 1 million IU per day).
And if you overdo it
Some people believe that a lack of vitamin D in a child is worse than its excess in the body. But it's not. Parents should be aware that uncontrolled intake of this element can adversely affect the he alth of the child. In case of an overdose, such negative manifestations are possible:
- Bone fragility.
- Violation of the functions of the kidneys, heart, liver.
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea.
- Headaches.
- General weakness.
- The appearance of protein in the urine, leukocytes.
- Increase in body temperature.
- Irritability, nervousness.
If such symptoms are observed, then you need to stop feeding the baby with such an element as vitamin D. Only the doctor should decide how much to give the child this synthetic remedy. Self mama none inunder no circumstances should the dosage of the drug be set.
Optimal release form
Many parents are confused and do not know which vitamin D to give their child: oil or water? If you buy a drug according to the type of the first option, then you can overdo it and give the crumbs too much. But water medicine often causes an allergic reaction in babies, as well as inflammation in the intestines. But it is not always and not for everyone. There is no optimal form of release, for a single newborn, its own dosage and type of drug is suitable.
Pharmacy medicines: names
Some parents don't think about giving their child vitamin D - they go straight to the pharmacy for the medicine. To their surprise, besides the Soviet fish oil, many other drugs are sold there. For example, popular means are Aquadetrim, Vigantol. Also, the pharmacist may recommend the drug "Colecalciferol". There is a more expensive remedy - "D3 Devisol Drops". Some doctors believe that this is the best vitamin D for children. Although Dr. Komarovsky has other views on this topic. The famous pediatrician believes that the best vitamin D is the sun and a varied diet. And various synthetic drugs will never be better than natural methods of influencing the body.
Expediency of use in summer
If vitamin D is necessary for a child in winter due to the fact that the sun in the winter season no longer produces enoughthis necessary element, and kids rarely go outside in the cold season, then in the heat it is not right to drink this organic compound. If children walk outside in the summer, eat animal products, then they do not need an additional intake of this important element. It is enough to stay for half an hour on a children's or sports ground for the body to independently produce the necessary amount of vitamin D in the skin. However, if the child does not go outside in the summer due to certain circumstances (he is in the hospital, does not get out of bed due to illness, etc.), then he needs to take this element for prevention.
This is interesting
Vitamin D comes in several types, the most common being D2 and D3. In the first case, a person receives it with food, and in the second - with sunlight. D3 is a more powerful organic compound, it covers up to 95% of the body's needs for this element.
Cost
The price of preparations containing vitamin D can be different and depend on several factors: the form of release of the drug, the volume of the package, the number of tablets, the location of the pharmacy and its cheating. For example, for an oil solution with a volume of 10 ml, you will have to pay about 130 rubles. If you buy vitamin D in capsules (60 pieces), then you need to pay about 900 rubles. When purchasing an aqueous solution (10 ml), you need to prepare about 200 rubles.
Conclusion
From the article you learned a lot of interesting information regarding such an organic compound as vitamin D: until what age should a child be given thiselement, is it necessary to take it to babies under 3 years old, which is fraught with a lack of this vitamin in the body. We realized that doctors are ambiguous in their opinion that artificial preparations with this organic compound are so necessary for children. Some believe that it is quite enough to be on the street, bask in the warm sun and eat right. And then you do not need to additionally buy synthetic preparations with vitamin D.
