Magnesium is an essential mineral required for the proper functioning of every organ in the body. Certain medical conditions that affect male children, including attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, may be related to low magnesium levels. To prevent magnesium deficiency, a boy's diet should include plenty of whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables. Magnesium supplements may be used to correct an existing magnesium deficiency. You should never give a child dietary supplements without a doctor's approval, however.
Daily Needs
According to the dietary reference intakes, or DRIs, issued by the National Institutes of Health, daily magnesium needs of male children are as follows: 40 to 80 mg for babies and toddlers; 120 mg for boys aged 4 to 6; 170 mg for 7- to 10-year-old boys; and 270 to 400 mg during adolescence. A boy's magnesium needs may increase, however, during recovery from surgery or illness, during athletic training, or while taking certain medications, such as furosemide or digoxin, which interfere with magnesium absorption. An illness that causes diarrhea can also temporarily increase a child's magnesium needs.
Magnesium and ADHD
According to MedlinePlus, children with ADHD -- a condition that, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, is four to nine times more common in boys than in girls -- seem to have lower magnesium levels than children without ADHD, and some research suggests magnesium supplementation may improve ADHD in children with low magnesium levels. MedlinePlus also notes, however, that the body of evidence supporting magnesium supplementation as an effective treatment for ADHD is limited. The dosage of magnesium for ADHD that has been tested in scientific research is 200 mg per day.
Other Therapeutic Uses
In addition to magnesium deficiency and ADHD, some scientific evidence indicates the usefulness of magnesium supplements for treating boys with constipation, migraine headaches and, especially, asthma. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a population-based study of more than 2,500 children aged 11 to 19 years linked low dietary magnesium intake with risk of asthma, and several studies indicate intravenous and inhaled magnesium, but not orally delivered magnesium, help reduce asthma attacks in children aged 6 to 18. According to MedlinePlus, a daily magnesium dosage of 9 mg per kg, or about 4 mg per lb., of bodyweight may help reduce migraine headaches in children.
Safety
You should not give magnesium supplements to children without a doctor's supervision. Getting too much magnesium can cause calcium deficiency, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, slow pulse, confusion, and, in extreme cases, coma and death. Magnesium supplements can also decrease the effectiveness of other medications, including antibiotics and biophosphates. Additionally, magnesium supplements are unsafe for children with kidney problems or heart block. If your child displays signs of magnesium deficiency, such as mental confusion, irritability and decreased attention span, it is a good idea to have him evaluated by your family doctor.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Magnesium; June 2009
- MedlinePlus; Magnesium; March 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; December 2008
- "World Journal of Gastroenterology"; Serum Magnesium Concentration in Children with Functional Constipation Treated with Magnesium Oxide; Maiko Tatsuki, et al.; February 2011
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