Got Vitamin D?
New study shows babies and kids just aren't getting enough.
On today's Good Morning America, they discussed how many babies, toddlers, kids, and adolescents are vitamin D deficient. Studies have found 12% of infants don't get enough vitamin D, and that an alarming 42% of adolescents don't either.
Because so many kids spend more time on the computer than in the sun, they're not getting enough vitamin D from good ol' Mother Nature. Plus, even when they're outside, they're slathered in sunscreen, which blocks the good effects of sun as well as the bad.
Although formula is fortified with Vitamin D, breast milk is often vitamin D deficient, so breastfed babies are particularly at risk.
What can moms do?
Give kids supplements. Babies need 200 units (in liquid form), and kids need 400 units daily. If you're breastfeding, you need to take a supplement, too -- 1000 units are recommended.
Catch some rays. GMA's Dr. Marie Savard recommends that adults and kids go in the sun unprotected for 5-10 minutes two times a week to get vitamin D. After those 5-10 minutes, go back inside or slather on the sunscreen.
Stock up on juice and milk. Encourage kids to drink juice or milk fortified with vitamin D.
Serve foods with vitamin D. Cod liver oil is the best source of vitamin D, but who's eating that? More palatable foods that include the vital vitamin include: tuna fish, salmon, fortified cereals, eggs, and cheese.
Do you or your kids take a vitamin D supplement?
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