Ensure Your Children’s Bone Health with Kids Vitamin D3 drops

Most parents assume that their children are getting adequate amounts of vitamin D from fortified milk. However, recent studies are now concluding that the vast majority of children are deficient in this vital nutrient for bone health. Are kids vitamin d3 supplements something you should consider? The following will provide some guidelines.

Vitamin D enables the body to absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus which are both critical for bone development.  A vitamin D deficiency can lead to a serious condition called rickets, which causes bones to soften and become misshapen. Those who are at greatest risk of acquiring rickets are breastfed babies who do not receive vitamin d in fortified formula, as well as children with certain medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis.

However, many medical experts now believe that the majority of children, as well as adolescents and adults are deficient. Some are even saying that vitamin d3 drops, chewables, or capsules should be taken by everyone, regardless of their age.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) increased their vitamin d recommendations in 2008 from 200 IU to 400 IU per day. The AAP recommends that kids vitamin d3 drops can be administered starting in the first few days of life.

Giving Vitamin D3 Drops 
While chewable supplements are safe for children over the age of three, vitamin d3 drops are the best option for infants, babies, and toddlers. These liquid vitamin preparations can be placed on an index finger to be placed in the baby’s mouth. Alternatively, the drop can be placed on a pacifier so that when the baby sucks, he or she will receive the vitamin.

Kids vitamin d3 drops, as well as all medications and supplements should be kept out of children’s reach at all time.

Other Sources of Vitamin D
In addition to vitamin d3 drops, milk and enriched foods can also add vitamin D to your child’s diet. Fortified foods include cereal, orange juice, and yogurt. Vitamin D is also found naturally in oily fish, like tuna, sardines, anchovies, and trout, cheese, egg yolks, and some mushrooms.

What You Need to Know about Infant Vitamin Supplements and Breastfeeding

More and more new moms are choosing to breastfeed their babies because of the growing list of health benefits of breast milk. However, there are unique nutritional needs for infants who are breastfeeding that are important to understand. These include vitamin D supplementation which can be provided through a liquid infant vitamin.

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine began recommending that breastfed babies (ages newborn to 12 months) receive IU of vitamin D. This recommendation was made because studies were showing that these babies were deficient in this vitamin which is vital for bone development.

A study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association has further concluded that breast-fed babies need a vitamin D infant vitamin supplement.  However, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that only about 10 to 20% of these babies are getting this essential vitamin for infants. Those who are not getting adequate amounts of vitamin D either through an infant vitamin or through fortified formula are at a higher risk of getting rickets, a disorder which can lead to softening and weakening of the bones.

The human body has the ability to produce vitamin D when skin is exposed to the sun. Yet, babies who are typically kept out of direct sunlight are not getting enough exposure to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D. The alternative is an infant vitamin supplement that contains vitamin D. Back in the 1920s, this was given to children in the way of cod liver oil. Now, flavorful liquid drops provide the vitamin for infants safely.

Rickets has become increasingly common over the last two decades as more babies are breastfed and as parents are more diligent about keeping them out of the sun. However, more and more pediatricians and childhood health experts who are spreading the word to parents about the need for vitamin D infant vitamin supplementation for their babies.

Rickets can be seen in children from ages six to 24 months and can include an array of symptoms including bone pain and tenderness, dental deformities, delayed formation of teeth, decreased muscle tone, muscle cramps, short stature, bowlegs, increased cavities, and progressive weakness.

Replacing calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D is the primary treatment for the condition, as well as positioning or bracing devices to reduce or prevent deformities.

Can Children’s Multi Vitamins Improve Your Child’s School Success?

Your child’s brain grows at a rapid rate throughout their school years. The biochemical process of learning requires balanced nutrition, as well as plenty of sleep, exercise, and hydration. It can be challenging to give many children enough nutrition to adequately feed their brains – especially those who are fussy eaters, very active, or have certain physical conditions. To compensate for a lack of sufficient nutrition in their diet, children’s multi vitamins may be an option to ensure a child is obtaining the nutrients they need to excel in school.

Not sure what is required in your child’s each and every day to facilitate proper brain development? The following offers some guidelines.

Good Fats
Fat was once considered a bad part of the diet. However, much more is known about the benefits of certain types of fat. Considering that the brain consists of 60% fat, it’s easy to understand why it is so necessary for healthy brain development in children. The best fats are omega-3 oils that can be found in fish, nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens. B-vitamins that can be found in children’s multi vitamins are also necessary for processing healthy fat so that it benefits the brain.

Protein
Protein helps to create the amino acids that are used to build neurons and receptors in our brains. Protein can be found in nuts, lean meat, and low-fat dairy products.

Carbohydrates
Surprisingly, sugar is a main fuel source for the brain. But, before you reach to give your child that cookie or candy bar, it’s better to offer him or her foods that contain complex carbohydrates such as whole grains. These foods contain energy and fiber and slow the rate of absorption of sugar, as well as B-vitamins and vitamin E – whether they are consumed in food or obtained from natural children’s vitamins.

Micronutrients
There are many micronutrients that are only needed in small amounts that are necessary for brain development and health. These include B-vitamins, zinc, calcium, phytonutrients, and other vitamins and minerals that can be found in quality children’s multi vitamins.

If you want to incorporate natural children’s vitamins into your son or daughters diet, it’s important to choose a supplement formula that contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals. Animal Parade Gold from Nature’s Plus is a good options because of its award-winning taste, sugar-free formula, and complete formula of the nutrients needed to support healthy brain development.

How Many Vitamins for Infants Are Enough?

Vitamin D is particularly important for babies during their first 12 months of life. During this time, bones are growing rapidly, and vitamin D along with other vitamins for infants are necessary to facilitate healthy growth and development.

A growing number of health care providers are now encouraging parents to give their infants a daily vitamin D supplement. However, there is still some debate over how much should be given.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the recommended dosage of vitamin D is now 400 IU for infant health.

According to Hope Weiler, a professor in the school of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at McGill University, “There’s sometimes a feeling that more is better. But until now, no one had compared the popularly recommended daily doses of vitamin D to see what will result in optimal health for infants.”

Interestingly, debate over vitamin D for infants is global. For example, the recommended dosage in France and Finland is 1,000 IU. However, in Canada, the dose is 400 IU. The Canadian Pediatric Society takes the recommendations even further by recommending that infants receive 800 IU of vitamin D in the winter months and 400 in the summer.

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because most healthy individuals produce enough of the vitamin with exposure to the sun. However, infants and babies who are protected from the sun and who aren’t consuming vitamin D fortified foods are often deficient.

Most researchers now believe that there are no advantages of giving high dosages of vitamin D for infants that exceed 400 IU per day. And, in the case of infants and older babies who are obtaining vitamin D through fortified formula, there may be no reason to supplement at all.

However, vitamins for infants, particularly vitamin D, are often beneficial to those who are breast fed and have minimal sun exposure. For these babies, liquid drops of vitamin D3 can be a smart option. The best choice for vitamin D for infants offers the bioavailable form of vitamin D along with complementary nutrients to optimize absorption and utilization.