Calcium and magnesium are both dietary minerals essential to children's health. Childhood calcium deficiencies can cause rickets, a disease characterized by the softening and weakening of bones that can cause delayed growth, muscle weakness, bowed legs, an abnormal curvature of the spine and spine, leg and pelvic pain. Some experts believe that childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be a symptom of a mild magnesium deficiency, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Intake Levels
A recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of a nutrient is set based on the average daily amount of the nutrient it would take to satisfy the health needs of 97 to 98 percent of the population. When not enough information about average intake is available for a particular nutrient, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies sets an adequate intake level rather than an RDA. The daily adequate intake level of calcium is 210 mg for infants from birth to 6 months old, 270 mg for infants from 7 to 12 months old, 500 mg for toddlers ages 1 to 3, 800 mg for children ages 4 to 8 and 1,300 mg for children ages 9 to 18. The daily adequate intake level of magnesium is 30 mg for infants from birth to 6 months old and 75 mg for infants from 7 to 12 months old. The daily RDA of magnesium is 80 mg for toddlers ages 1 to 3, 130 mg for children ages 4 to 8, 240 mg for children ages 9 to 13, 360 mg for girls ages 14 to 18 and 410 mg for boy ages 14 to 18.
Sources
Healthy dietary sources of calcium for children include low-fat dairy products, green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified staple foods like orange juice and breakfast cereals. Nutritious dietary sources of magnesium that children can enjoy include beans, nuts, legumes, spinach, whole grain products, avocados, bananas and raisins. Calcium and magnesium are also available in supplemental form, and both are included in multivitamins marketed for children.
Function
Calcium's integral role in bone and tooth formation, growth and remodeling makes it a particularly vital mineral for growing children. Calcium is also essential for muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, nerve impulse transmission and the secretion of hormones and enzymes. Adequate magnesium intake is important for healthy immune, muscle and nerve function, bone strength, cardiac rhythm, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure levels, protein synthesis and energy metabolism.
Considerations
Symptoms of calcium deficiency include numbness and tingling in the fingers, muscle cramps, convulsions, lethargy, anorexia and cardiac arrhythmia. Without appropriate treatment, severe calcium deficiencies can cause death. Magnesium deficiencies can cause anorexia, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness. If left untreated, symptoms can progress to personality changes, cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac spasms.
Just as too little calcium or magnesium can be dangerous, so can too much. Calcium toxicity can lead to impaired kidney function and deficiencies of other dietary minerals, but calcium toxicity is rarely caused by dietary or supplemental calcium intake. Magnesium toxicity, which can be caused by supplemental magnesium intake, especially in those with impaired kidney function, can cause mental status changes, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, severe hypotension and cardiac arrhythmia.
Warnings
Consult a physician before starting your child on calcium or magnesium supplements.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Rickets
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Magnesium
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