Symptoms Of A Lack Of Vitamin D In Children

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps build the immune system and regulates calcium, as well as bone growth and development. Children's need for vitamin D is high during adolescence becuase children are constantly growing and developing. A deficiency in vitamin D can cause your child to have health and developmental complications. It is not always easily detectable early, so knowing and recognizing symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is crucial in protecting your child's long-term health.

Functions of Vitamin D

Vitamin D promotes the absorption and use of calcium and phosphate for healthy bones and teeth. The liver converts vitamin D into a hormone that regulates and monitors the concentration of calcium in the bloodstream. Vitamin D is also associated with the interaction between nerves and muscles as well as with cell production and division.

Vitamin D Deficiency

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that children ages 1 to 18 get 200 IU of vitamin D daily. Insufficient research and information exist to provide a recommended daily intake, thus intake recommendations are listed as adequate intake, or AI. There is some current debate about whether the official recommended intake of Vitamin D is too low for optimal health.

Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency in Children

In the June 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Dr. Catherine M. Gordon stated that she and her colleagues found that 40 percent of infants tested below average for vitamin D. Gordon suggested that the deficiency of vitamin D in adolescents is a much bigger concern than anyone previously realized. Children with a vitamin D deficiency may exhibit symptoms of muscle weakness, fatigue coupled with aches and pains, moodiness, vomiting, depression and anxiety. The long-term disease rickets is directly related to vitamin D deficiency in children.

Rickets

Rickets is a bone disease found in children that causes a deformity or stunting of long bones. This is caused by insufficient amounts of calcium absorption. Within the first two years of life, your child experiences rapid growth and bone development, raising her need for calcium and phosphorous minerals, as well as vitamin D to absorb those minerals. Symptoms of rickets include tenderness in the bones, muscle weakness, dental problems, muscle spasms and bowed legs. If early onset of the disease is not detected, the effects of rickets may be permanent, including deformities.

Getting Tested

If you speculate that your child may have vitamin D deficiency, speak with your doctor. Simple blood tests can be performed to detect vitamin D levels in your child's body. Testing for diseases like rickets may involve X-rays, which will allow your child's doctor to view bone growth, size and density. Blood tests may also need to be performed to test for concentration of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous in the blood. In some cases, doctors may need to perform a bone biopsy in order to retrieve and study bone samples within the child.

Prevention

The richest and most convenient form of vitamin D comes from direct exposure to sunlight. The skin synthesizes vitamin D from direct ultraviolet B rays from the sun. Professor James Dowd, author of "The Vitamin D Cure," suggests that your child get 15 minutes of direct sunlight daily. Food sources from fatty fish including salmon, tuna and cod liver are good natural sources of vitamin D. Dairy products such as milk and cheese that are fortified with vitamin D are also good dietary sources.