Children develop comprehensively, parents do not forget to give their children the ‘micronutrients’ available in nature

Children have trouble sleeping, tired, why?

Visiting the doctor, the baby’s family said: The baby rarely eats vegetables and fruits. Mental development, normal movement. Before going back to school, the child stayed at home for many months, rarely going out. For more than a month now, although the weather is still cool, but the family finds that the baby is sweating a lot, his hands and feet are sweaty, or he is tired, and it is difficult to sleep at night. For peace of mind and to find out the cause, the family decided to take the child to MEDLATEC for a health check.

Children with low birth weight and height below the norm, the cause may be vitamin D deficiency. Illustration

The doctor checked that the baby’s temperature, respiratory function, heart, and lungs were all within normal limits. However, the weight and height are slightly less than the average of the WHO growth standards, specifically the weight of 21 kg, which means that the baby’s weight is 22.9 kg lower than the standard level, and the height of 119 cm is also lower than the standard 121.7 cm.

Regarding the test results of micronutrients, it is worth noting that the vitamin D test index: 17.10 ng/mL, ie severe deficiency according to the classification of vitamin D deficiency status of the American Endocrine Society: Mild deficiency: 20-29 ng/ ml), severe deficiency, <= 20 ng/ml. enough >= 30 ng/ml).

Therefore, the baby was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and prescribed outpatient treatment, and the doctor consulted on nutrition and how to take care of vitamin D deficiency.

Dr. Tran Thi Kim Ngoc – Pediatric Specialist, MEDLATEC General Hospital, Base 2, said: Recently, Pediatrics has received many children coming to the clinic due to sweating while sleeping (also known as thief’s sweat), tossing and turning. , difficulty sleeping, sore limbs, especially after playing sports. After examination, most of them showed signs of vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D – An essential micronutrient for growth and disease prevention

Sharing the role of vitamin D, Dr. Ngoc said: When it comes to vitamin D, most of us only know the important role in creating bone structure. However, vitamin D is an essential micronutrient that has many other important roles such as in cell division, secretion and metabolism of hormones, including parathyroid hormone and insulin.

For children to develop comprehensively, the role of vitamin D is indispensable

Vitamin D also has the ability to affect the differentiation of some cancer cells such as skin, bone and breast cancer cells; Reduces the risk of developing cancer (breast, colon and prostate), regulates the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

Particularly during the Covid-19 epidemic period, studies have concluded that vitamin D not only helps strengthen the innate immune system, but also helps the immune system not overreact, putting the human body in dangerous situations. death possible. That is, vitamin D can reduce mortality by up to 50% by reducing complications that lead to death after disease.

Conversely, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in infants and children, as well as osteoporosis in adults.

When to supplement vitamin D for children?

According to research results at the National Children’s Hospital, the rate of vitamin D deficiency in children is 23.9%. In particular, the age of 6-15 is an important period for children’s development, especially growth in height and bone mineralization, especially this is considered the last stage for children to develop breakthrough physical development. best quality. Therefore, nutrition at this stage is very important, especially vitamin D and calcium.

Vitamin D is essential for a child’s development

So how much vitamin D is enough for children, according to the recommended intake for children < 1 year old is 400 IU/day, children 1 year of age and older and adults < 50 years old is 600 IU/day.

According to Dr. Ngoc, it is necessary to go to the doctor to promptly supplement vitamin D for groups at risk of serious deficiency such as:

Children often cry, have trouble sleeping and can’t sleep, night sweats (at night when it’s not hot), slow teething, slow walking, bone deformities, pain in limbs, premature babies; Children not exposed to the sun (born in winter); Children whose diets are mainly based on vegetables and nuts, do not use milk or foods fortified with vitamin D; Children with infectious diseases (respiratory infections, measles, prolonged digestive disorders…).

Are there ways to supplement vitamin D?

The main source of vitamin D for the body is the synthesis of vitamin D3 in the skin, accounting for about 90-95% of the total amount of vitamin D synthesized from the environment into the body. The secondary source of vitamin D is from food, which accounts for 5-10% of total vitamin D synthesis, the majority and vitamin D2. Therefore, to prevent rickets in children, parents need to supplement vitamins for their children in the following ways:

Playing outdoors is a way to help children supplement vitamin D from the sun, preferably before 9 am.

Sunbathing: Vitamin D is mainly synthesized naturally through human skin, so it needs to be exposed to direct sunlight. Summer has come, parents should stop forgetting to let their children sunbathe every day to supplement this wonderful and free source of vitamins. In case the child is isolated, the family needs to increase the opening of the window so that the house can be ventilated and let the child play as much as possible in a place where the sun can enter the house.

Diet: As a fat-soluble, fat-soluble vitamin, absorbed with fat in the general circulation, so it is necessary to diversify foods rich in vitamin D in meals such as fresh fatty fish, mushrooms, and yolks. eggs, full cream yogurt, beef liver and duck meat.

Take vitamin D supplements as prescribed by your doctor, if available.

With 26 years of experience in community health care, the MEDLATEC Hospital / General Clinic chain also has full strength in a team of experts, experienced doctors and machines for multi-specialty medical examination and treatment. specialties such as Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, Respiratory, odd specialties (Ear, Nose, Throat, Maxillofacial, Eye), Neurology, Psychiatry.

If it is difficult for parents or family members to arrange a time to visit the MEDLATEC Hospital/General Clinic chain, MEDLATEC’s nationwide sampling service will provide you with the solution. trusted by millions of people nationwide to check and monitor their health at home. This service meets nearly 2,000 test categories from basic to advanced with accurate and fast results such as:

The fast, accurate and convenient on-site sampling service is the solution to check the health of millions of Vietnamese families.

Blood test to check the general health of the whole family; Testing for maternal health monitoring, prenatal screening (NIPT, Double test, Triple test), postpartum screening; Periodic monitoring of chronic diseases (metabolic disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer…); Testing for infectious diseases (hepatitis B, C, HIV…); Early screening test for cancer risk; Micronutrient testing for children; Genetic testing, DNA.

For information about services or to book an appointment to take samples for testing, you can call 1900 56 56 56 (24 hours a day)

Phuong Dung