What are the Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency in Children?

Being a parent means being responsible for your baby's health, growth and nutrition. As a parent, it is your duty to ensure your baby receives all the key nutrients and doesn't suffer from any deficiency. One such deficiency that can several chronic diseases in babies is Vitamin D deficiency. In this article, we will understand what is Vitamin D deficiency, its signs and symptoms and its treatment.

What is Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D is a unique micro-nutrient that can be easily attained from direct sunlight. When the good UV rays (UVB) from sunlight come in direct contact with a baby’s skin, it is then absorbed by the blood to fulfil the requirement of vitamin D in the body. A vitamin D deficiency means that the body's intake of vitamin D is not enough. A deficiency of vitamin D can cause rickets, muscle weakness, delay in motor development, fractures, aches, and pains.

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Nowadays, children are more prone to deficiency of vitamin D because of the modern lifestyle like sitting in air-conditioned rooms, sitting in rooms that have air purifiers due to pollution, limited or no exposure to sunlight due to tinted glasses or consuming a vegetarian diet. In some cases, infants get the deficiency from the mother if the breastfeeding mother does not have vitamin D stored in her body.

What are the signs of Vitamin D deficiency in children?

Signs of vitamin D deficiency in infants and toddlers include the following:

• Despite the intake of healthy food, there is a delay in the growth of your baby like height, weight, and developmental milestones.

• Your child feels lethargic and gets irritated soon

• Cardiomyopathy

• Tetany

• Seizures

• Poor growth

• Delayed dentition

• Easy fractures

• Muscle weakness

• Pains and aches

• Rickets

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Why is Vitamin D so important?

Intake of vitamin D is essential because it helps in absorbing calcium and phosphorus which are required to maintain healthy bones. The bones of the human body need calcium and phosphorus for bearing weight, strength, and wear and tear. If your baby is getting sufficient vitamin D then your child will be able to play around without any difficulty with an abundance of energy. It will help the body to absorb calcium and will provide power to the baby’s muscles. Vitamin D deficiency can even lead to several chronic diseases such as hypocalcemia, hyperparathyroidism and rickets.

How is Vitamin D deficiency diagnosed?

You must speak to your doctor if you find something suspicious about your baby’s growth and development. The pediatrician can conduct several screenings like X-rays of ankles and wrists, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), Serum Vitamin-D (calcitriol levels), Urine creatinine, etc. to determine the vitamin D levels in your child. If your child is diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, the doctor may prescribe them certain supplements.

How is Vitamin D deficiency treated?

If your child is diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, the doctor may prescribe them certain supplements. The dosage of the supplements will depend on the baby’s age and the deficiency whether it is severe, mild, or moderate. The blood level is re-checked after a few months. The doctor will also increase your child’s intake of calcium if he is putting your child on supplements.

Vitamin D supplements are available in different forms such as:

• Oral drops of Vitamin D
• Syrup
• Powder form in a sachet
• Oral tablets for grown-up babies

Vitamin D deficiency is usually not threatening if diagnosed and treated timely. It's important for you to look out for any signs of vitamin D deficiency in your child and consult a doctor at the earliest. And make sure to allow your child some time under the Sun and plenty of vitamin D-rich foods.