Many parents know that if they want their baby to grow tall and grow well, calcium supplementation is certainly indispensable, but as long as calcium supplementation can "all be fine"? Calcium supplementation is very important, and calcium absorption is even more critical. So how to improve your baby's calcium absorption? At this time, we will invite our protagonist today - vitamin D.
1. Vitamin D:
A sterol derivative, common vitamin D is divided into vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is mostly found in plants, while vitamin D3 is mostly found in humans and animals.
90% of the vitamin D in the human body is produced by the sun shining on the skin, while the vitamin D content obtained from food is only 10%. People who don't like outdoor sports, don't like the sun, always stay at home, and people with unbalanced diets are prone to vitamin D deficiency.
Second, the role of vitamin D:
1． Promotes the absorption of calcium
As a fat-soluble element, the biggest role of vitamin D is to promote the absorption of calcium; adequate vitamin D supplementation can help the baby better absorb calcium and promote the growth and development of bones; of course, if there is no involvement, no matter how much calcium intake is wasted.
2． Involved in the growth of cells and the establishment of immune function. Improve immune function, help the absorption of phosphorus, regulate the body's immune function, enhance immunity.
Three. Vitamin D Status:
Vitamin D deficiencies and deficiencies are one of the global public health problems, involving different age stages, with the impact being particularly pronounced in children under 5 years of age. According to the results of the "Monitoring of nutrition and health status of Chinese residents", the vitamin deficiency rate of children aged 3-5 in mainland China is about 8.9%, and the insufficiency rate is as high as 43%.
Four. Causes of deficiency:
1. Rapid growth: Infants and young children grow and develop faster in the early stage, and the body's demand for various elements is large, at this time, if you cannot guarantee sufficient intake of nutrients, it will limit the baby's growth and development, affecting the healthy growth of the baby.
2. Insufficient light: The main source of vitamin D in the human body is synthesized by light irradiation on the skin, but due to the influence of weather, region, season and other factors, parents cannot guarantee enough outdoor light time for infants and young children.
3. Difficult to take from food: The content of vitamin D in natural foods is low, and it is difficult to supplement the content of vitamin D through food supplementation.
Five. Vitamin Supplements:
According to the latest expert consensus, infants and young children can supplement with vitamin D after 2 weeks of life, with a content of 400 IU-800 IU / day, which can be supplemented for life.
At the same time, for pregnant mothers, in order to meet the growth needs of the fetus, they need to eat 1500-2000iu of vitamin D every day. For early births, twins and low-weight babies, 800-1000 iu per day need to be guaranteed, which can be reduced to 400-800 iu after three months.
Six. Trivia:
Exclusively breastfed babies are more deficient in vitamin D
1. There is very little vitamin D content in breast milk
2. In the breastfeeding stage, the baby lacks enough outdoor time to synthesize vitamin D through the skin
3. Exclusive breastfeeding, it is difficult for babies to get a certain amount of vitamin D from food
Vitamin D or Vitamin AD?
Choose according to different age groups:
Under 6 months of age: At this time, the baby mainly obtains nutrition through breast milk or milk powder, and the demand for vitamin A and vitamin D is very large, so you can supplement vitamin AD.
Over 6 months of age: At this time, the baby can consume vitamin A through complementary foods, and only need to supplement the baby with vitamin D. However, if the baby is more picky and the nutrients obtained from the food are obviously insufficient, vitamin AD is needed.
． Vitamin D not much?
Nutritional supplementation requires appropriate amounts and moderation. Excessive vitamin D supplementation can lead to intoxication, at which point your child will show the following symptoms: anorexia, nausea, mood abnormalities, low-grade fever and sweating.