What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because our skin can produce vitamin D from the sun’s ultra violet light (UVB). It helps control the amount of calcium we absorb therefore and is important for developing and maintaining strong bones.
Why do we need Vitamin D?
A lack of Vitamin D can reduce the body's ability to absorb calcium, and have a negative impact on bone health.
Health Care Professionals are seeing more cases of children with Rickets in their hospitals due to a lack of Vitamin D. 82% of Paediatric Dietitians say they have seen an increase in Rickets over the last 5 years.*
Rickets is a condition that affects growing bones - so it only occurs in children. It is a softening of the bones that can lead to fractures and deformity.
Why children don’t have enough Vitamin D in the UK?
There is a combination of reasons for children not getting enough Vitamin D – spending more time indoors and not playing outside, and covering up with sunblock means they are not exposed to the sun. Also there are few foods that provide Vitamin D, and children may not be taking supplements when it is recommended – worryingly many children are not getting enough of this important vitamin.
Who is at risk of Vitamin D Deficiency:
Some groups of the population are thought to be at high risk of deficiency.
These include:
- Pregnant or breast feeding women
- Breast fed infants from 6 months
- Formula fed infants, if formula fed is less than 500mls a day
- Children up to 5 years
- People with dark skin pigmentation
- The elderly (over 64 years)
- People who don’t go outside much
- People who cover skin with clothing for majority of summer months e.g. religious reasons
- People with poor or restricted diet
How to get Vitamin D
Spend 15-20 mins outside in sunshine 2-3 times each week without suncream. Encourage children to play outside, take a brisk walk or do some gardening?
Try to eat oily types of fish regularly (at least 1-2/week). This includes salmon, trout, mackerel, herrings or sardines.
Choose a breakfast cereal with added vitamin D (not all cereals are fortified so check the label). Kellogg’s Cornflakes, Kellogg’s Choc N Roll, Special K and Bran Flakes all include Vitamin D. We are adding it to all of our children’s cereals by July 2012.
Ensure that babies and young children have a vitamin D supplement, e.g. Healthy Start vitamin drops from the Healthy Visitor and if you are pregnant speak to your GP about taking vitamin D supplements.
Should I give my child Vitamin D supplements?
The Department of Health has recommended vitamin D supplements for infants and children up to the ages of 5 years, as well as pregnant and breast feeding mothers.
The Healthy Start vitamins are freely available to those who qualify for the Healthy Start scheme (www.healthystart.nhs.uk).
Press release
Read our press release here.
NHS Vitamin D factsheet
Check the factsheet here.
If you have questions about Vitamin D, Email our Nutritionist:
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