Vitamin D Deficiency and Kids

There has been a lot of talk lately about Vitamin D and how much our children (and ourselves) need. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to causing many diseases like heart disease, autoimmune diseases, depression, birth defects, autism, and diabetes. With hype like this, many parents are wondering where and how they can get more of this fat-soluble vitamin. Our bodies make Vitamin D when the sun hits our skin. If you live in a northern state or find that you and your children wear sunscreen continuously, you may not be receiving enough of this beneficial vitamin. A goal for most people is to get 10-15 minutes of sunshine, without sunscreen a few times each week. Another way to get Vitamin D is to drink fortified milk, eat fortified cereal or consume oily fish, like tuna or mackerel. If you are currently breastfeeding, you are probably going to want to consider supplementing yourself and your baby, since often breast milk is deficient in this vitamin. Talk to your pediatrician about their recommendations and if your child should be tested to see if they have Vitamin D deficiency and also if your child should supplement with a vitamin D supplement. Also, when looking for supplements, a vitamin should contain more than 400 IU of Vitamin D.