Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays an important role in your child's body. Magnesium supports energy production, bone health, muscle formation, cell structure and heart-rhythm regulation. Although magnesium deficiencies are rare in both children and adults, your child could have low magnesium levels due to certain health conditions or medications. Before you attempt to correct low magnesium at home, talk to your child's doctor.
Identification
The recommended daily intake of magnesium for children ranges from 80 to 410 mg, depending on the child's age and gender, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Children 1 to 3 years of age should get 80 mg of dietary magnesium each day, children 4 to 8 years old should get 130 mg and children 9 to 13 years old should get 240 mg. Boys aged 14 to 18 years old should get 410 mg of magnesium daily, while girls of the same age range should get 360 mg. The symptoms of a magnesium deficiency typically include muscle weakness, fatigue or excessive sleepiness and hyper-excitability, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Your child could also display signs of low magnesium levels such as memory problems and confusion, learning disabilities, anorexia or poor appetite, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, sensations of tingling or numbness and uncontrolled muscle contractions.
Causes
Magnesium deficiencies in children are most commonly caused by taking certain medications or suffering from certain medical conditions. Your child may develop low magnesium levels due to conditions such as severe or chronic diarrhea or vomiting, malabsorption disorders such as cystic fibrosis or Crohn's disease, intestinal inflammation, kidney disease or uncontrolled type-1 diabetes, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Taking thiazide or "potassium-depleting" diuretics, the cancer drug Cisplatin or some antibiotics such as cyclosporine or gentamicin can cause magnesium deficiencies. Low calcium levels in the blood, intestinal surgeries and severe burns can also lead to low magnesium levels, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Sources
A magnesium deficiency could cause potentially dangerous health effects in your child, especially if it's left untreated. Luckily, there are many dietary sources of magnesium. Your child gets magnesium from eating certain foods such as artichokes, squash seeds, tofu, many types of beans, almonds and other vegetables and legumes, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Your child can also get magnesium from eating certain fruits, nuts and whole grains. Seeds and peas provide magnesium as well, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Oysters and other seafoods, meats and dark-green vegetables also offer certain amounts of magnesium, adds the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Treatment
If your child has a magnesium deficiency, a healthcare professional will typically recommend that you enrich your child's diet with magnesium-containing foods, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Your child may also require a magnesium supplement in a dosage that's appropriate for her age, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. If your child needs to take a magnesium supplement, you should give it to her at least two hours before or after iron or folate supplements to improve absorption. Magnesium supplements could also interfere with certain medications like digoxin, neuromuscular blockers, tetracycline antibiotics and nitrofurantoin, warns the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Considerations
You shouldn't start your child on a magnesium supplement before first talking with a healthcare professional to discuss the potential risks and drug interactions. If your child has kidney disease, magnesium supplementation may be unsafe, cautions the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Because there are so many dietary sources of magnesium, you might try increasing your child's magnesium levels using food first. You can add wheat germ to cereals or breads, add nuts to dishes or salads, add beans to soups or chili dishes or replace margarine with peanut butter on toast or bagels, recommends the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. All these dietary modifications can increase your child's magnesium intake.
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