Is Your child Vitamin D Deficient?

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We were starting to think that Vitamin D deficiency was a thing of the past. I mean, when was the last time you met someone with rickets? but a recent study in Pediatrics showed that over six million children in the united states do not get enough Vitamin D. That is one out of every five kids! It seems that Vitamin D deficiency is much more common than we thought.

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin! new studies are proving that vitamin D can help avoid numerous diseases such as cancer, depression, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease. other research has linked low Vitamin D levels to obesity; studies show that overweight individuals are much much more likely to be Vitamin D deficient. It is not clear, however, whether enhanced body fat leads to Vitamin D deficiency or if low Vitamin D levels cause a person to acquire weight. Is one responsible for the other? much more research is needed in this area.

There are a few different ways to get vitamin D. Vitamin D may come from foods or vitamin supplements; vitamin D can also be made by the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays (UV light). Fortified foods are the main dietary sources of Vitamin D as few foods naturally include it. Although milk is fortified with vitamin D, dairy products made from milk, such as cheese and ice creams, are typically not fortified with vitamin D. Fatty fish and fish oils are natural sources of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency is typically missed because there are no real symptoms associated with it. Rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones) are the most common signs of vitamin D deficiency but there is no way for parents to tell if their child is suffering from these illnesses. The only way to show that your child is vitamin D deficient is by completing a blood test which screens for a particular form of vitamin D, called 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D).

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Think that name sounds complicated? Unfortunately, numerous doctors do too. In fact, doctors typically purchase the wrong blood test when assessing vitamin D levels. Be sure to ask for 25(OH) D blood test not 1, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D (aka calcitriol). With such complicated names, it is no wonder that such mistakes are made!

Vitamin D deficiency exists when 25(OH) D levels fall below 25 ng/mL. Levels may vary depending on time of year, direct sunlight exposure, skin color and vitamin D consumption. Levels ought to be between 50 – 80 ng/mL year-round for both children and adults.

As a doctor, I am finding much more and much more children with low levels of vitamin D, primarily because kids are spending less time in the sun. These days, toddlers are much more typically inside viewing TV than playing outside. and if they are in the sun, they are lathered with sun block, which reflects the sun’s rays and decreases vitamin D formation. Obviously, sunscreen is essential and ought to not be avoided! but it does result in lower levels of vitamin D. Also, numerous toddlers do not get enough vitamin D to meet their needs because there are limited food sources of high vitamin D content.

The current recommendation is 400 IU per day in the form on of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). new studies are showing that higher levels may be needed to avoid the diseases discussed above. numerous are now recommending 1,000 IU per day in the form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). If your child doesn’t get this amount of vitamin D in his diet, you may want to consider a multivitamin that contains vitamin D.

About this authorJoanna Dolgoff, M.D. is a Pediatrician, child Obesity Expert, and author of Red Light, green Light, eat best (Rodale, 2009). Dr. Dolgoff’s child and adolescent weight loss program (http://www.DrDolgoff.com) has been featured on WABC News, WNBC News, Fox 5 morning Show, My9 News, and WPIX News. She has also filmed pieces with The Today show and Extra, is an official blogger for the Huffington Post, and is the official doctor for Camp Shane, the nation’s largest weight loss camp. children from 45 different states are losing weight with Dr. Dolgoff’s online weight loss program (http://www.DrDolgoff.com).Dr. Dolgoff attended Princeton university and the NYU school of medicine and completed her Pediatric Residency at the Columbia Presbyterian Children’s medical facility of new York. She is a Board-Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a former certified fitness instructor. Dr. Dolgoff resides in Roslyn, NY with her spouse and two children, ages 4 and 7.

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