Dear readers, with the arrival of winter, we begin to think about the lack of vitamins and beneficial elements in the body, and we are especially concerned about this issue in relation to our children. Surely everyone has heard about the benefits of vitamin D for infants, but we do not always think about why it is so necessary for a small child and what the consequences of its deficiency are. In today's conversation with doctor Tatyana Antonyuk, we will talk about the role vitamin D plays for newborns, and how to provide the baby with the right amount. I give the floor to Tatyana.
Good afternoon, readers of Irina’s blog! Vitamin D deficiency and its consequences have always been one of the problems that arise when caring for an infant. Read old books or magazines and you will learn about the need for fish oil in your child’s menu. Children of several generations were treated to this “delicacy” in an attempt to protect them from the severe consequences of a lack of vitamin D. Modern medicine has more effective drugs to solve this problem. But first, let’s figure out what role this substance plays for the growth and development of the baby.
An infant grows very rapidly and gains weight. Its skeletal and nervous systems are no less intensively formed, the muscular system develops, and the first teeth appear. The baby’s body, even when receiving a sufficient amount of mother’s milk, does not “keep up” with its needs. How can you provide vitamin D to newborns?
Its main source is sunlight. It has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of the child: it stimulates metabolism, increases the body’s protective properties, and has a positive effect on the activity of the nervous system.
A certain amount of the substance enters the body with food, mainly of animal origin. There is no vitamin D in plant foods.
When prescribing drugs, the following criteria are taken into account.
Place of residence
Children born in the southern regions do not experience such severe vitamin deficiency as infants living in the north and in areas with high humidity and rainy climates.
Type of feeding
Typically, a certain dose of vitamin D is required for breastfed children. Doses intended for artificial infants must take into account the presence of the substance in the mixture that is fed to the baby. An overdose is as undesirable as a vitamin deficiency.
Season
Children born in late winter or early spring are in a more advantageous position. Children whose first months fall in the autumn-winter period experience a natural lack of sunlight and, accordingly, vitamin D.
Prematurity or immaturity
Children born prematurely and low birth weight infants are more at risk of developing diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency.
The most severe consequence of vitamin D deficiency is rickets. Doctors call it “growing disease.” Fortunately, today it is very rare to encounter severe forms of the disease, in which curvature of the lower limbs and spinal deformity are observed. But even a mild form of the disease poses a danger to the baby, since it weakens the immune system and slows down development.
The first signs of vitamin D deficiency in infants are noticeable already at 2-3 months of a child’s life. In premature babies or twins, they can appear from 3-4 weeks of age.
The main symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in infants are as follows:
- anxiety, severe tearfulness, poor sleep, frequent shuddering;
- increased sweating, which gets worse when you are at the breast or during games;
- skin irritation and itching;
- gradual hair loss on the back of the head, caused by constant friction of the head on the pillow;
- softening of bone tissue (the edges of the large fontanelle become soft).
Later signs include muscle hypotonicity, poor height and weight gain, and shallow breathing with signs of shortness of breath. In children with rickets, teeth erupt late and the order of their appearance is disrupted. Typically, teeth are weak, have irregular shapes and enamel defects.
Unfortunately, the first signs of vitamin deficiency often go unnoticed by parents. Anxiety and poor sleep in the baby's mother and father can be explained by anything - stomach colic, age-related crises, neurological problems, but not the initial stage of rickets. But the amount of vitamin in a child’s body can be easily adjusted by taking medications.
These drugs are available in oil and water forms. The first one is better absorbed, but it is more difficult to dose. The aqueous form has a gentle effect, therefore it is intended for prevention. For pronounced symptoms of rickets, an oil form of vitamin D is prescribed.
Aquadetrim
One of the most common vitamin D preparations for infants. The release form of the product is drops with an anise aroma. The main component is vitamin D3, additional ingredients are citric acid, sodium hydrogen phosphate, purified water, sucrose. The drug has a positive effect on the metabolism of important minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. How to give vitamin D3 to a baby? It is prescribed to children over 1 month old, 1-2 drops per day.
Instructions for using vitamin D for infants indicate that the drops should be mixed with a spoonful of water, baby food or breast milk. In summer, the daily dose may be reduced or even eliminated.
For the treatment of rickets, the dosage is increased to 4-10 drops per day. Only a doctor has the right to accurately determine the dosage of the drug!
Vigantol
Vigantol is an oil solution that is suitable for both newborns and older children. To prevent rickets, the child is given 1 drop daily for five days with a further break of two days. For treatment, the dose is increased to 2-8 drops.
In weakened or premature babies, negative reactions may occur, such as intestinal dysfunction (constipation, colic), redness of the skin, itching. In this case, after consulting a doctor, you need to change the drug and stop taking it in the summer.
D3vit baby
It is a new generation vitamin D preparation that can be recommended from the first days of a baby’s life. Release form: capsules. One of the advantages of the product is the convenience of determining the dosage of vitamin D for newborns. The contents of the capsule are dissolved in water, or even better, in breast milk, and given to the child to drink. Duration of administration for the purpose of prevention is 1 month.
I suggest watching a video about which vitamin D is best for babies.
Let's turn to Dr. Komarovsky
What is the opinion of the famous pediatrician Komarovsky about vitamin D3 for infants? Evgeny Olegovich emphasizes its benefits for a growing body, but at the same time urges parents not to believe horror stories about the widespread disease of rickets. Uncontrolled intake of the vitamin can cause no less harm to the child than its deficiency.
Komarovsky claims that taking vitamin D supplements is necessary from October to March. In some northern areas it may be extended from September to April. The rest of the time, the lack of vitamin will be replenished during walks in the fresh air, when the child is sufficiently exposed to the sun.
The best time for walking is in the morning, when ultraviolet rays are especially strong. To prevent rickets, not only sunbathing, but also air baths are useful. In the cold season, they are taken in the room, starting from 2-3 minutes and increasing the duration to 15 minutes 4 times a day. In summer, babies take air baths outside. Their duration ranges from 15 minutes to an hour, provided that the baby is in the shade at an air temperature of at least 22-25˚C.
Komarovsky notes the need to include in the diet of a nursing mother foods that help saturate the body with vital substances. The menu should include egg yolks, butter, cod liver, caviar, and milk.
Don’t be surprised that children who are bottle-fed often receive an overdose of vitamin D. The desire of parents to improve the nutrition of their children leads to the fact that they begin to give vitamin D in large quantities. But most modern infant formulas are enriched with this vitamin. Why is an overdose of vitamin D3 dangerous for infants? Let's talk about this further.
Yes, sometimes. Unfortunately, vitamin D in large quantities can cause negative effects. Parents begin to sound the alarm when drug substances accumulate in the baby’s body and cause negative reactions.
Signs of vitamin D overdose in infants:
- frequent regurgitation, including “fountain”, vomiting;
- increased urination;
- bowel dysfunction – constipation or diarrhea;
- increased irritability, capriciousness of the baby, loss of interest in the world around him;
- convulsive syndrome, restless sleep.
If such symptoms appear in a mild form, they can be easily eliminated by stopping the medications. But chronic abuse of vitamin complexes can cause excessive accumulation of substances. The child has premature closure of the fontanelle, cardiac dysfunction, and deterioration of the skin condition. In infants, hair growth slows down and there may even be developmental delays.
How to eliminate the symptoms of vitamin D overdose in a baby? The answer is obvious: stop giving vitamin preparations immediately. If this is not enough, the baby should be registered with a doctor with regular monitoring of the composition of urine, heart function and blood pressure. A special diet with limited vitamin D is required, and medications that restore metabolism in the body, including vitamins B and C, are required. During the hot season, it is recommended to limit the child’s exposure to the sun.
The consequences of an overdose of vitamin D in infants are pathologies of the cardiovascular system, kidney failure, and disturbances in the acid-base balance in the body.
Thus, all parents should be very vigilant when it comes to the health of their baby, especially at such a tender age. Any medications, including vitamins, should be used only in consultation with a doctor and under his supervision.
Let your child always be healthy and cheerful! And don't forget to spend more time outdoors, even if the weather doesn't seem very favorable to you. Fresh air and friendly sunshine will bring more benefits than the most effective medications.
Your doctor
Tatiana Antonyuk
I thank Tatyana for all the clarifications regarding vitamin D. When a baby is just born, parents have so many questions, and how to take vitamin D is one of them that everyone faces. Therefore, it is important to have all the necessary information so that all measures taken are only beneficial.
Remember, in our Soviet and post-Soviet childhood there was no more offensive name calling than the word “rickets”, used with a fair amount of contempt? All thin, slender children and girls with crooked legs were called rickets, even if they had, as they say, “wheels” from birth. Moreover, these guys did not always actually have rickets.
Not much has changed now. In the usual understanding, rickets is something terrible and nightmarish. Parents are shocked when they hear this diagnosis from the doctor. They don’t understand what they did wrong, and how such a huge misfortune happened in their completely prosperous and well-fed family. Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician of the highest category in Russia and the world, is often asked about rickets and vitamin D.
What is rickets?
Rickets is a disease that occurs due to a pathological deficiency of vitamin D in the body. The disease affects young children and infants. When a child becomes ill, the formation of bone tissue is disrupted and there are insufficient minerals in it.
The disease was first identified and studied by doctors back in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, doctors found a direct relationship between cases of rickets and eating foods containing vitamin D. Then it became fashionable to give a child fish oil.
The most susceptible to the disease are children who are rarely exposed to the sun, receive insufficient nutrition, premature babies, babies with endogenous problems, if the absorption of vitamin D in the intestines is disrupted, as happens with a number of liver and kidney diseases, as well as children of the Negroid race.
Children whose mothers breastfeed are less likely to suffer from rickets, since they absorb about 70% of calcium through breast milk, while artificial babies can absorb only 30%.
The process of disease development is very complex. As a result of metabolic disorders caused by hypovitaminosis D, the work of other systems also changes - the production of enzymes and the nervous system suffers, but rickets still inflicts the most significant blow on the condition of the bones of the child’s musculoskeletal system.
Symptoms
You can notice rickets in the initial stage when the child is 3-4 months old.
- The first will be neurological manifestations- sleep disturbance (the baby has trouble falling asleep, often wakes up, is often capricious and cries for no apparent reason), the baby becomes very timid, he is afraid of bright lights and loud sounds.
- Almost simultaneously with neurology will appear eating disorders- appetite decreases, the baby sucks the breast sluggishly, reluctantly, and abandons it. He may be constipated.
- Sweating. Very often, parents sound the alarm when they notice that the baby is often sweating. Sweating during rickets has its own individual signature. It intensifies during sleep, the legs and scalp sweat especially heavily. This process is accompanied by quite severe itching, the baby rubs his head on the diaper, which causes baldness on the back of the head. The sweat of a rickets baby has a rather specific sour and pungent odor.
- Decreased muscle tone. This symptom does not always occur.
- Bone changes are observed not in the initial stage of the disease, but later, about a month after the onset of the disease. The strength of the bones of the chest and limbs decreases, and the frontal and parietal tubercles of the skull protrude greatly. The bones of the skull soften and become thinner. Many of these changes will remain with the child even after recovery, even as he grows up and becomes an adult. In girls, narrowing of the pelvic bones is possible. This can then cause difficulties in bearing and giving birth to children naturally.
- Bloating. This disproportion looks like the belly of a frog and is called, according to the association, “frog belly.”
- Decreased mental development and retardation in physical development.
In developed countries, rickets is found in no more than 10 children per million people. In Russia, this diagnosis is given to approximately half of children. Perhaps the reason is an insufficiently high-quality approach to diagnosis. The fact is that our pediatricians, in the old-fashioned way, make a conclusion based on the above symptoms. European doctors do not do this; they do not believe that rickets can be diagnosed if a child has one or two or even the entire list of characteristic signs.
The diagnosis of “rickets” will be made there only when the doctors’ fears are confirmed by an x-ray and a blood test for the concentration of vitamin D and phosphorus. They also do an extensive blood test for some hormones.
The role of vitamin D
Ergocalciferol (this is the official medical name for vitamin D) regulates the balance of phosphorus and calcium, the process of their absorption in the intestines and subsequent deposition into bone tissue. It is produced in human skin under the influence of sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency most often occurs in children who were born in winter, do little walking, and permanently live in northern latitudes, where the sun is a rare guest.
There is another interesting pattern. The lighter a person’s skin is from birth, the greater the amount of vitamin D he can receive from contact of the sun’s rays with the skin. The darker the child, the less necessary ergocalciferol he will receive when exposed to the sun.
Komarovsky about the problem
Rickets itself is not as terrible, according to Evgeniy Komarovsky, as our attitude towards it. Doctors just can’t get over how to make a diagnosis based on symptoms, and therefore they “register” as rickets sometimes completely healthy children who simply have excessive sweating or have slow growth.
Evgeniy Olegovich urges colleagues not to rush to conclusions, and parents not to panic and remember that therapeutic doses of vitamin D are more preventive. If they are given to a healthy child who has been misdiagnosed, the consequences can be very, very serious: loss of appetite, convulsions, severe arrhythmia, nausea, vomiting, impaired respiratory function, and death.
We bring to your attention an episode of Dr. Komarovsky’s program dedicated to rickets and vitamin D deficiency.
How to treat?
Today there are two forms of ergocalciferol - aqueous solution and oily solution. The modern pharmaceutical industry offers three main drugs - Aquadetrim, Ostetriol and Alpha D3. In pharmacies you can purchase special UV lamps that can be used for newborns in winter if it is not possible to walk in the fresh air.
The doctor emphasizes that preventing rickets does not cost a penny. You just need to walk with your child more often, even if the weather is far from ideal.
In winter, newborns are often prescribed vitamin D in the form of a liquid solution. Komarovsky does not object to such a preventive treatment, but calls for it to be done wisely.
He emphasizes that it is advisable for nursing women to take this useful and important vitamin as part of a special vitamin complex for new mothers.
A woman’s diet should include beef, raw egg yolks, butter, and cod liver. The baby will receive the required amount of vitamin D through breast milk.
Formula-fed babies do not need additional vitamin D, since it is included in all adapted milk formulas for baby food without exception.
Thus, vitamin D does not need to be given separately to children under one year of age.
As soon as the baby reaches that wonderful age when the share of complementary foods (cereals, fermented milk products) amounts to one third of the daily diet, the need for vitamin D will increase. If it’s summer outside, there’s enough sun, and the ready-made porridge already contains vitamin D (this should be indicated on the box), then parents can relax. But if it’s winter outside and the toddler eats porridge that does not contain vitamin D, then you should start taking the drug “Aquadetrim” (vitamin D 3) 1 drop once a day.
Komarovsky advises premature babies born before their due date to be given vitamin D in doses prescribed by the treating pediatrician. Often such children need additional phosphorus and calcium intake.
Any active prevention of rickets, according to Dr. Komarovsky, makes sense only in the period from October to March. Much depends on the region where you live. If in the south, then the prophylaxis period is shortened - an additional dose of vitamin D 3 will need to be given (and even then not necessarily) in December-February. If in the middle zone or the Volga region, this period will become longer - from mid-October to the end of March. In Siberia, beyond the Arctic Circle - from September to April.
Sunscreens (creams and sprays) for children reduce the amount of vitamin D produced, but only slightly. Therefore, you should not worry about exactly how much ergocalciferol your child will receive if there is a need to use sunburn cream. This means he has enough sun.
Komarovsky about vitamin DAll mothers know how beneficial vitamin D is for infants, but they do not always think about why it is so necessary for the baby and what the consequences of its deficiency are. It’s not for nothing that pediatricians prescribe the drug to almost all babies from birth. Premature and weakened children receive a useful supplement from 2–3 weeks. Babies born on time are introduced to cholecalciferol at 1–1.5 months. The substance has a beneficial effect on the formation of the skeletal system and physical development of the baby, strengthens the central nervous system and improves intelligence.
Who needs the supplement?
Vitamin D is a set of biologically active substances, one of which is cholecalciferol or vitamin D3. It is used to maintain the health of newborns. The additive ensures the absorption of phosphorus and calcium from food and their subsequent distribution in bone tissue.
Cholecalciferol is synthesized in the baby’s skin under the influence of sunlight or enters the body with food. Deficiency of the substance is more typical for infants who were born in the autumn-winter period, live in temperate or northern latitudes and do not walk much. For children from the southern regions the problem is not so pressing.
This is interesting. There is an interesting pattern - the lighter the child’s skin, the more vitamin D he receives from the sun. A dark-skinned baby absorbs natural cholecalciferol less well, and therefore needs to take nutritional supplements to a greater extent.
Vitamin D3 is especially necessary for premature and weakened babies or those who are breastfed. They receive cholecalciferol drops for children. Formula-fed babies have less need for the supplement since it is included in all infant formulas.
Older children begin to receive cholecalciferol through complementary foods. Read more about how to organize a nutritious diet and what foods contain vitamin D.
Before giving calciferols to your baby, consult your doctor. Only a specialist can decide how necessary the supplement is, as well as select the best option and prescribe the dosage.
Vitamin D3 - why children need it
Why do newborns need cholecalciferol? There are many indications for its use. In addition to bone mineralization and regulation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism, vitamin D3 is given to infants to increase immunity and reduce susceptibility to infectious and colds.
Performs cholecalciferol and a number of other important functions:
- strengthens the synapse;
- ensures cell growth;
- prevents the development of oncology;
- fights osteoporosis;
- improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
- protects against autoimmune disorders (diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis);
- prevents softening and tuberculosis of bones;
- eliminates tetany;
- increases resistance to dermatitis and dermatoses.
The benefits of vitamin D3 for children under one year of age are undeniable. In addition to the functions discussed, a sufficient amount of the active substance normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland and eliminates irritable bowel syndrome, and also prevents the occurrence of rickets - the most severe consequence of a lack of cholecalciferol.
But not everything is so simple. Children's doctors are still debating the benefits and harms of vitamin D3 for infants. Most pediatricians argue that additional intake of calciferols is necessary for 90% of newborns, while their opponents are confident that a useful supplement should be given only to children at risk.
Attention. If the baby does not have medical indications for using the vitamin, parents can decide whether to take the drug. In the absence of undesirable reactions to the active substance, its use is more likely to be advisable than not.
Which vitamin D is best for infants?
Children's cholecalciferol is produced in two forms - aqueous and oil. Which one is better? An aqueous solution of vitamin D3 is less toxic and has a mild effect. It rarely causes skin rashes, is well absorbed and easily tolerated. This drug is suitable for the prevention of vitamin deficiency and is designed for long-term use.
An oil solution often causes unwanted reactions, but is more effective. Typically used in the course of treatment of diagnosed deficiency.
And yet, what is better for newborns - an oil or water solution? Pediatricians advise giving very young children the water form even with obvious symptoms of vitamin deficiency. It is safe and easier to dose.
In addition, oil cholecalciferol is not suitable for all infants. Its use is undesirable in the following cases:
- kidney diseases;
- problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- cancer alertness;
- tendency to allergies.
Any of the vitamin D solutions for children is used only in diluted form.
How to properly give vitamin D to a baby?
Pediatricians recommend taking cholecalciferol in the autumn-winter season, usually from September to April inclusive. If the doctor has prescribed a prophylactic dosage for the newborn, you can take the healthy supplement constantly. Treatment of vitamin deficiency requires a week-long break after each month of use.
Attention. Children living north of the 60th parallel do not receive enough natural cholecalciferol, even in the midst of summer.
How to properly give vitamin D3 to a baby, at what time and with what? The instructions for calciferols say that the drug can be taken before or after meals. The main thing is that the baby is comfortable. In this case, it is advisable to stick to the first half of the day, drinking the solution during breakfast or lunch. The vitamin can be added to formula, drink, or any convenient food.
How to take the solution in drops? There is nothing complicated about it. Just add the prescribed number of drops to the bottle or apply to the nipple and give to the baby. If the child is accustomed to a spoon, it is more convenient to give the supplement from it, mixed with food or water.
How to take cholecalciferol for bottle-fed children? Be sure to tell your doctor that your baby is receiving breast milk substitutes. All store-bought mixtures already contain the required amount of vitamin and the pediatrician will take this into account when calculating the daily dosage of the medicine.
Vitamin D dose for children
The minimum daily requirement of vitamin D3 for infants is 400 IU. This prophylactic dose does not cause any problems for the child, however, even this should not be given without a pediatrician’s prescription.
A premature baby requires a larger amount of cholecalciferol - 700–1400 IU (daily dosage depends on birth weight), and well-developed children older than one year will need 500 IU.
How many drops should a baby be given in general? It all depends on the content of the active substance in a particular drug. The instructions clearly indicate how many IU cholecalciferol is in 1 drop of the medicine. In the standard case, doctors recommend giving a breastfed baby 2 drops of solution daily, and a formula-fed baby 1 drop.
Advice. When breastfeeding, pediatricians recommend taking vitamin D to the mother herself in a daily dosage of 700 IU.
With an individual approach, the following regimens for prescribing cholecalciferol are used:
- under good living conditions for the baby and natural feeding, daily use of small doses of vitamin D during the first year of life is optimal;
- for children living in the northern regions, the “vitamin push” method is quite justified - the baby is given 40,000–45,000 IU once a week for 2 months;
- for weakened and frequently ill children, it is permissible to use cholecalciferol using the compacted method - 300,000 - 400,000 IU for 12–14 days. This method requires strict medical supervision, but is quite effective if necessary.
This amount of substance is sufficient for its gradual accumulation in the liver, fat and bone tissue and further consumption.
Vitamin D: up to what age can a child be given?
At what age is it recommended to give cholecalciferol to newborns? Vitamin preparations can be prescribed from the first days of a baby’s life if the doctor deems it necessary. In the usual case, full-term breastfed babies are prescribed vitamin D from 4 weeks, and infants born prematurely - from 8–14 days.
When should formula-fed infants start taking supplements? Usually at the same time as newborns growing on breast milk, unless the pediatrician makes other appointments.
Until what age are calciferols used? Maintenance therapy is carried out during the first 12 months of the baby’s life, and then regularly repeated up to 2 years. In regions with long and harsh winters, when children do not see sunlight and fresh air for a long time, vitamin D is prescribed until the age of 3.
Older children no longer need cholecalciferol preparations, since they begin to receive the substance from food and during walks.
Vitamin D deficiency: symptoms in children
The first signs of vitamin deficiency appear already in the second month of a baby’s life. In premature or recovered babies, symptoms develop much earlier.
Vitamin D deficiency in infants is manifested by the following symptoms:
- convulsions;
- increased excitability or, conversely, lethargy;
- sweating;
- dry and itchy skin;
- thinning hair on the back of the head caused by friction with the pillow;
- softening of the fontanelles;
- poor sleep;
- loss of appetite;
- reducing the body's resistance.
Later signs of cholecalciferol deficiency include the appearance of shortness of breath, retardation in height and weight, and muscle hypotonicity. Infants with pronounced vitamin deficiency have late and difficult teething, often with enamel defects and irregular shapes.
Unfortunately, moms and dads rarely pay attention to the first symptoms of cholecalciferol deficiency. Parents attribute crying, anxiety and loss of appetite to anything but the onset of vitamin deficiency.
Advice. If you have concerns that your baby is suffering from a lack of cholecalciferol, do a blood test to measure its content. Today, such a study can be carried out in any medical laboratory. As a last resort, take a urine test according to Sulkevich.
You can find out what a vitamin D test is and how to prepare for it.
Lack of treatment for obvious cholecalciferol deficiency will lead to curvature of the bones and spine, late closure of the fontanel, an increase in the size of the head, slowed mental development and other problems.
Symptoms of vitamin D overdose in infants
It turns out that not only a deficiency of calciferols is dangerous, but also their excess. By the way, hypervitaminosis in children is rare and occurs not from a one-time overdose of the drug, but against the background of regularly exceeding the amount recommended by the pediatrician.
Attention. It is enough to give an infant an excessive dose of cholecalciferol for 30 days and this will lead to an overabundance of the substance. And after two months, hypervitaminosis will take a chronic form.
What can be considered a large dose for children? As a general rule, taking 4–9 drops of a 500IU solution (2000–4500IU) daily over a long period of time is excessive. Intoxication can also develop with hypersensitivity to the substance. This happens if the mother, while pregnant, was overly fond of vitamin D preparations.
Symptoms of excess calceferol in infants:
- the appearance of seizures, restless sleep;
- frequent urination;
- allergy;
- constant crying, irritability;
- regurgitation, sometimes in a fountain;
- gastrointestinal disorder;
- calcification of organs and soft tissues;
- vomit.
If such disorders are mild, they can be quickly localized by discontinuing the drug. With chronic hypervitaminosis, the baby experiences dry skin, thirst, heart rhythm disturbances, and early closure of the fontanel.
When the consequences of an excess of the substance cannot be eliminated by stopping the drops, it is recommended to introduce vitamins C and B1 into the infant’s diet, as well as limit the child’s exposure to the sun.
Advice. The toxic effects of cholecalciferol can be reduced to zero by simultaneous intake of vitamins K2 and A. By the way, a deficiency of D3 is always combined with a deficiency of these substances.
Allergy to vitamin D in infants
Can there be an allergy to calciferol preparations? Oddly enough, individual intolerance to vitamin D3 itself is rare. Much more often, a reaction occurs to additional components that are part of the solution and are potential allergens.
The most dangerous of them:
- polyethoxylated castor oil;
- benzyl alcohol;
- flavorings;
- lemon acid;
- sucrose.
The main symptoms of allergies in infants are as follows:
- peeling, redness and itching of the skin in the face, shoulders and arms;
- eye irritation, lacrimation;
- sneezing, nasal congestion;
- loss of appetite, breast refusal;
- anxiety, nervousness.
The complex course of allergies is manifested by shortness of breath, swelling of the palate and larynx, face, and hands. The baby's cry becomes hoarse and choking. If such symptoms appear, you must urgently call a doctor or take the child to the emergency room.
If fever, frequent regurgitation or vomiting, and intestinal upset are added to skin manifestations, then there is a high probability of developing acute intoxication.
What should parents do if allergies occur? The main thing is to immediately stop taking the vitamin and consult a doctor.
If severe itching bothers the baby, the pediatrician may recommend taking a course of antihistamines: Xyzal, Kestin, Simprex. If your baby develops Quincke's edema, treatment with corticosteroids will be required. Symptoms of skin manifestations are well eliminated by anti-inflammatory ointments: Epidel, Bubchen, Bepanten. Advantan or Fenistil-gel will help relieve itching.
Advice. After the allergy symptoms have passed, try giving your baby other medications containing a minimum set of additional ingredients.
A child sleeps poorly due to vitamin D - what to do?
Another side effect of hypervitaminosis D3 can be insomnia. Yes, yes, don't be surprised. Poor sleep is a sign of not only a deficiency, but also an excess of cholecalciferol. Associated symptoms will help distinguish the condition.
If in the first case, insomnia is accompanied by lethargy and apathy, then in the second, on the contrary, the child looks excited. The baby walks and fidgets until 3-4 o'clock in the morning, and even if he falls asleep, it doesn't last long.
This side effect is mentioned in the instructions for any drug containing vitamin D3. Therefore, if you notice such an unpleasant symptom, do not be at a loss. Just stop giving the medicine and watch the baby's reaction. If sleep returns, ask your pediatrician to change the medication.
Why do some children have such a strange reaction to pharmaceutical calciferols? You already know that natural vitamin D is produced in the epidermis of the skin when exposed to the sun. Being an integral part of the body, it does not affect the sleep hormone in any way. The synthesized substance, once in the body, works differently - the vitamin inhibits the production of melatonin, thereby disrupting the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness.
How to avoid an overdose of cholecalciferol
Old-school pediatricians taught that vitamin D3 should be given to infants only in those months that have the letter “r” in their names. This statement may require minor adjustments, but in general it is true. The rest of the time, it is recommended to compensate for cholecalciferol deficiency by walking.
The best period for a baby to be outdoors is the morning and afternoon. At this time, the sun is quite active, but does not burn. To prevent vitamin deficiency, not only ultraviolet radiation is useful, but also air baths. In winter, they are made in a warm and bright room, starting from 1–2 minutes and brought up to a quarter of an hour. It is advisable to perform the procedure 3-4 times a day.
In the summer, the baby is taken outside, exposing his arms and legs as much as possible. The baby is placed in an area with diffused sunlight for 30–60 minutes.
In autumn and spring, when the weather has not yet settled or has already deteriorated, it is a good idea to supplement air baths with irradiation with a quartz lamp. The procedure can be carried out in winter, in between taking the drug.
Vitamin D with iHerb for children
If a doctor has prescribed cholecalciferol for your baby or you yourself have decided that the drug is necessary, it is better to buy it on iHerb. This American online store offers a wide selection of natural and completely safe vitamin D, both in a single version and as part of complex products.
The price of supplements may seem high to some, but everything is paid off by excellent quality, a minimal set of additional components that can cause allergies and high efficiency.
So, what to look for when choosing calciferols for a baby:
- dosage of the drug should not exceed the daily recommended amount for children, but should not be too low;
- manufacturer - it’s good if he is known on the market;
- bioavailability of calciferol;
- no dyes, preservatives or sweeteners.
Advice. When choosing a vitamin supplement for newborns on iHerb, be sure to read the opinions of other customers. This will help you avoid mistakes and get what you need.
Vitamin D for infants - reviews from parents
As a rule, people turn to the iHerb website in cases where pharmaceutical drugs cause allergies. And here most buyers find what they need - natural and hypoallergenic calciferols.
After a short course of use, 90% of parents note the effectiveness of children's drops, ease of use and well-chosen dosage. Both oil and water supplements are easily absorbed and do not cause side effects. All babies taking iHerb children's vitamins sleep well and develop.
Children with already pronounced symptoms of vitamin deficiency quickly get rid of them, gain weight, sweat less, and the back of their heads quickly becomes covered with hair. Many mothers note early teething, improved well-being and mood.
Of course, we can’t help but rejoice at the price of supplements. Despite the seemingly expensive packaging, the cost of one drop (dose) is cheaper than many pharmacy calciferols.
Which children's vitamin to buy on iHerb
If Aquadetrim or Vigantol cause undesirable reactions in a baby, it makes sense to try American vitamin D from IHerb. When you visit the site, you will see a lot of vitamin supplements, which are quite difficult to understand. So let's look at the most popular products for infants with good reviews.
ChildLife, Essentials, Vitamin D3, Berry Flavor
Aqueous solution of cholecalciferol for newborns. The drug is relatively inexpensive, each drop contains 500 IU of vitamin D3. This is less than in pharmaceutical solutions and allows you to more accurately measure the daily dose.
The manufacturer advises giving the product as is or mixing with food. It is recommended for infants from 6 to 12 months to take 5 drops daily, for older children - 8 drops. Shake the bottle before use.
Please note that the aqueous solution of ChildLife, Essentials, vitamin D3, unlike Aquadetrim, does not contain alcohol, which means it does not cause allergies. Calciferol contains natural berry flavor, water and vegetable glycerin.
California Gold Nutrition, Vitamin D3 Drops for Infants
A very popular drug at a competitive price. Children's vitamin with iHerb is intended for children from birth to 3 years.
The California Gold Nutrition brand is the property of iHerb, so the treatment of its products is special - the supplements undergo three-stage quality control and fully comply with international standards.
There is nothing superfluous in the vitamin supplement for infants, only cholecalciferol and coconut oil. This set of components is unlikely to provoke allergies or other unwanted reactions.
The colorless, tasteless, and odorless oil solution is easy to drink as is or with milk, water, or nutritional formula. The fatty base allows you to apply the product to the nipple and give it to the baby.
California Gold Nutrition Vitamin D3 is dosed in drops, each containing 400 IU of cholecalciferol, which is the daily dose for an infant.
Ddrops, Liquid Vitamin D3 for Children, 90 drops
This popular supplement for babies from a well-known Canadian manufacturer can also be purchased on iHerb. The product is intended for breastfed babies and has repeatedly received the Mom's Choice award for high quality and safety.
Vitamins play a leading role, participating in the body's metabolic processes. They are defined as absolutely necessary elements, the deficiency of which leads to pathological conditions. Today we will talk about vitamin D for newborns: why it is needed, what happens when there is a lack of it, how you can compensate for its deficiency.
The role of vitamin D
Simply put, vitamin D is a group of biologically active substances, the main representatives of which are:
- ergocalciferol (D 2), enters the body exclusively with food;
- cholecalciferol (D 3), synthesized in the skin as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation and partially comes from food.
Its main role is to help in the absorption of phosphorus and calcium in the small intestine, which enter the body from food. In addition, cholecalciferol is necessary for the full functioning of the parathyroid gland, the formation of nonspecific immunity, and the synthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid). It affects blood clotting and promotes the transmission of nerve impulses.
Why is deficiency dangerous?
Lack of vitamin D, along with calcium deficiency, becomes the main cause of rickets in children in the first years of life.
For reference: rickets is a disease that primarily affects the skeletal and nervous systems of young children during their intensive growth. The disease is associated with metabolic disorders and a lack of vitamin D.
Initial symptoms of rickets:
- tearfulness;
- problematic sleep (shallow, with frequent waking up);
- severe sweating, baldness in the back of the head;
- poor overgrowth of the fontanel;
- delayed teething;
- weak muscles.
With rickets, bones soften and become deformed.
Further development of the disease leads to deformations of the bones of the lower extremities and pelvis in girls. If some of the listed symptoms are observed for some time (more than one, since late teething, for example, can be associated with many other reasons), it would be a good idea to show the child to the doctor.
In our regions, this problem remains relevant, especially for residents of the northern regions. To get a sufficient dose of vitamin D from the sun's rays, you need to take full sunbathing (suitable time from 10 am to 2-3 pm), that is, so that the light falls on open areas of the body.
For people with fair skin, a 5-minute “session” twice a week is enough. Remember that light does not penetrate clothing, glass or sunscreen. Also, like a fat-soluble vitamin, it tends to cumulate (accumulate) in the body and is gradually consumed in winter.
What is a vitamin D solution?
But what if the sun is a rare guest in the area where you live? Then, for prevention purposes, children are given vitamin D drops. The pharmaceutical industry today produces several versions of this vital element. Preparations with the active substance in the form of vitamin D3: Aquadetrim, Vigantol. The first is approved for use by full-term babies after 4 weeks of life, the second - from 2 weeks.
If you like to walk in the sun, there will be no problems with the synthesis of vitamin D
Who is at risk?
In other words, which of the children is primarily recommended for prevention:
- children born from October to May;
- premature babies;
- infants with dark skin type;
- children taking medications that can interfere with the absorption of vitamin D 3.
Mode of application
For infants at risk, drops are given in a prophylactic dose, usually 400-500 IU per day. As a rule, 1 drop of the drug contains this dose. It is diluted in a tablespoon of water and given to the baby once a day. The advisability of taking vitamin D in drops is also influenced by the method of feeding: many adapted formulas for artificial babies include this element in the composition.
Never drop the medicine directly into your mouth: instead of 1 drop, you may end up with 2 or 3
In cases where there are signs of rickets, the drug is prescribed in a therapeutic dose. Be that as it may, only the doctor decides when, for how long, and in what quantity to give the medicine to the child.
Is an allergic reaction possible?
Some people experience allergies when taking vitamin D, which manifests itself in skin dermatoses, itching, and rashes. If such signs are detected, the medication should be discontinued and consult an allergist. The doctor will determine whether it can be taken in parallel with antihistamines or whether you will have to stop taking it altogether. Sometimes allergies are confused with an overdose, since the symptoms are very similar.
Contraindications
The medicine should not be taken in the following situations:
- elevated levels of calcium are detected in the urine or blood;
- vitamin D hypervitaminosis;
- urolithiasis disease;
- renal failure;
- pulmonary tuberculosis in the active phase.
Danger of overdose
Excessive vitamin D levels are no less dangerous than its deficiency. First of all, a large amount of it can lead to calcium deposition in the kidneys and on the walls of blood vessels.
Signs of overdose:
- weakness, lethargy;
- thirst along with the release of large volumes of urine;
- vomiting, nausea;
- the child behaves restlessly.
Due to the danger of the condition, you should never overestimate the recommended dosages, mistakenly believing that in this way you can quickly make up for the deficiency.
Summarize. The doctor decides whether to give vitamin D drops to children under one year of age or not. Like any other drug, it has its own specific indications and contraindications. At the same time, treatment started without delay or timely prevention will help avoid unpleasant health consequences.
The disease under the frightening name of rickets is well known in pediatrics. It occurs in children and leads to rather disastrous consequences, which are incredibly difficult to eliminate. The main reason leading to rickets is a lack of vitamin D. Therefore, it is quite natural that it is very important to determine the lack of vitamin D in time and do everything possible to replenish it. Dr. Komarovsky has repeatedly argued that it is better to prevent such a situation than to try to overcome it later. For infants, a small amount of vitamin D is especially dangerous.
Vitamin D in medications: which is best for babies
An emergency measure to maintain a sufficient amount of vitamin D in the baby’s body is the use of medications. Among the products of this kind that are most suitable for infants, Komarovsky names Aquadetrim, Ostetriol and Alpha D 3. These are preparations containing approximately the same composition of vitamin D, which is “produced” when exposed to sunlight. Only their administration must be properly organized, since otherwise it will not be possible to achieve the best effect from the funds. Below are the requirements, the observance of which Komarovsky calls mandatory.
- For infants, the use of vitamin D exclusively in the form of drops is suitable. Other dosage forms of the drugs cannot be used.
- The appropriate dosage is chosen depending on how big the problem is. When vitamin D is given to infants born in the summer, a minimum dose of the drug is sufficient. If it is necessary to provide treatment for a premature or weak child, then the dosage, on the contrary, increases.
- The standard dosage is 5 IU. In the case of the remedies previously named by Komarovsky, this is just one drop. But it’s better if the pediatrician names the specific amount.
Now it’s clear which vitamin D is best for infants according to Komarovsky. Parents must remember that a negligent approach to the use of medications is fraught with great danger. And therefore you should not show initiative in this matter. Otherwise, you will have to fight not with rickets, but with other serious problems.