Basking in the sun together in 2022| less sun in childhood, may become a lifetime of regret

Qianjiang Evening News Hourly News Reporter Zhang Bingqing Correspondent Zhu Yaoling

Zhu Bingquan, deputy director of the Department of Child Health Care of Zhejiang University Children's Hospital

Less sun exposure in childhood may become a lifelong regret

Sunlight is probably the most affordable nutritional supplement in the world – about 90 percent of the daily vitamin D in the natural environment is taken from the reaction of sunlight to the skin.

But children who are buried in heavy work every day and hold various electronic screens in their hands cannot enjoy the free vitamin D gift of the sun. Surveys show that chinese children are generally deficient in vitamin D, and the lack of outdoor sports is the main reason.

Image source: Visual China

Vitamin D levels in Chinese children are not optimistic

The incidence of osteoporosis increases greatly in adulthood

Since January 2019, the Children's Health Management Center of Zhejiang University Children's Hospital has conducted vitamin D testing for more than 4,000 children, of which 41% of children are vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D deficiencies and deficiencies in children and adolescents are not only common in the health management center of Zhejiang University Children's Hospital, but also in Zhejiang as a whole.

A team of researchers at Wenzhou University surveyed the vitamin D levels of nearly 6,000 local infants, children and adolescents and found that the situation is not optimistic.

The main function of vitamin D is to promote the absorption of calcium and phosphorus by the cells of the mucosa of the small intestine, so it is conducive to increasing the concentration of blood calcium and phosphorus, which is conducive to the deposition of calcium salts in bones, infants and young children who lack vitamin D will suffer from rickets, adolescents and adults will suffer from osteoporosis, and even osteomalacia, and the risk of fractures will increase. In particular, the lack of children and adolescents can affect the formation of peak bone mass, and the probability of osteoporosis in adults is greatly increased.

There is also evidence that vitamin D deficiencies and deficiencies are also associated with diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, tuberculosis and other diseases.

Chinese infants and young children have a better vitamin D status than American infants, but with age, children and adolescents are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. 1 in 3 preschool children (2 to 6 years), 2 school-age children (7 to 11 years), and 3 adolescents (12 to 18 years old) is deficient or insufficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency in adolescence is difficult to detect

Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D

Infant vitamin D deficiency will be manifested as rickets, such as chicken breasts, rib beads, knee varus and other specific manifestations, but the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency after the age of 1 year are relatively insidious and have no specific manifestations.

Vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents is generally difficult to detect and sometimes causes bone pain, but it is easily confused with growth pain, so vitamin D testing is a very important way to detect early deficiency.

Preschoolers and school-age children need 400 units of vitamin D per day per day, sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D obtained from nature, the skin is exposed to the sun, and the ultraviolet rays in it cause the dermis parts of the irradiated skin to react and produce inactive vitamin D. After receiving it, the blood transmits it to muscle and body fat, which also passes through the liver and kidneys into an active form of vitamin D, which is then utilized by the body.

In cases where lack of outdoor activities or the environment leads to insufficient daylight exposure, vitamin D levels in the body are prone to deficiencies. An important reason for vitamin D deficiency in Chinese children and adolescents is insufficient outdoor exercise. Some children's foods abroad have fortified vitamin D, but there are currently fewer vitamin D fortified foods in China. Therefore, additional vitamin D supplementation should still be emphasized for preschoolers and school-age children, and vitamin D levels should be monitored regularly. ”

Parents can instruct their children to exercise outdoors in accordance with the World Health Organization's Global Recommendations on The Health Benefits of Physical Activity.

Accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to high-intensity physical activity per day; physical activity greater than 60 minutes can provide more health benefits; most daily physical activities should be aerobic activity, and at the same time, at least 3 times a week should be performed high-intensity physical activity, including strong muscle and bone activity.

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