1. Recognize Symptoms in Infants
Not all infants with hypocalcemia need to be treated. If your infant isn't showing symptoms and the only way you know he has a lower-than-normal level of calcium in his blood is due to a routine blood test, it may not be necessary to manage the condition. However, if your infant shows signs of early hypocalcemia (within the first three days of his life) or late hypocalcemia (between the fifth and tenth days of his life), talk to his pediatrician about treatment options. Symptoms to be on the lookout for include: muscle twitching and tremors, crankiness and jumpiness, lethargy, trouble feeding and seizures.
2. Control What Your Baby Drinks
When a baby develops late hypocalcemia, it's often not only related to decreased calcium intake, but also increased phosphate intake. Manage your baby's phosphate levels by breastfeeding or using low-phosphate formula instead of cow's milk. As a breastfeeding mom, in addition to eating calcium-rich dairy products, try to increase the amount of Vitamin D in your diet by eating vegetables like spinach and collard greens. If you just can't stand to eat them, though, don't despair. You can also help your infant by continuing to take prenatal vitamins or Vitamin D supplements.
3. Medical Intervention
Sometimes, despite your best efforts to manage hypocalcemia with diet, your infant may need further medical intervention. While seizures, ongoing tremors and cardiac concerns often lead to hospitalization for intravenous calcium gluconate treatments, there are other less immediate reasons for pursuing calcium supplementation. Persistently low calcium levels can cause long-term damage. Talk to your child's doctor about the need to manage you child's calcium levels to prevent brittle bones, neurological concerns and vision problems. If your child isn't in immediate danger, it's likely that she can be treated on an outpatient basis.
