The Importance of Milk in Your Child's Diet
Does your child sweat at night or maybe a little abnormally during the day? I don't mean like if your child gets a little to warm under the covers while sleeping or after participating in an energetic activity, but more of a profuse sweating that occurs while sleeping that soaks a pillow or just pours off of their body. If so, this may be a sign that your child has a Vitamin D deficiency that may be a sign of rickets.
WHAT IS RICKETS AND WHO IS AT RISK?
Rickets is a bone-deforming disease that causes bowed legs, knock-knees, or other deformities of the legs and skeleton. Because the US government has required that milk, cereal, and other foods be fortified with vitamin D due to an epidemic of rickets in the 1930s, rickets is fairly rare in the United States; however, if your child cannot drink milk due to a lactose intolerance, milk allergy or just plain dislike of milk's taste, getting Vitamin D is not always that easy. Infants that are exclusively breastfed are also at a risk for rickets, because breast milk in itself does not provide adequate dietary levels of Vitamin D. In addition, infants and children that do not get enough exposure to sunlight are at increased risk for rickets.
DAILY MILK REQUIREMENTS
As mentioned above, milk, cereals and other foods are fortified with Vitamin D, so try to get your child to intake the required daily allowance as much as possible. If your child doesn't like plain milk, consider giving them flavored or chocolate milk, or other typically milk-based products such as yogurts, puddings and cheeses. Not all pre-packaged cheeses or puddings are fortified with Vitamin D, however, so be sure to read the food labels to ensure you are getting Vitamin D rich products. One way of ensuring your pudding has Vitamin D value is to buy a boxed pudding mix and make it with milk. If your child has a lactose intolerance, consider buying a lactose-free milk or soy milk, both of which are typically fortified with Vitamin D. Again, be sure to check the labels.
For children 8 and under, 2 cups of milk or milk-based products should be consumed daily. For children over 8 and adults, the requirement is 3 cups daily.
The USDA has come up with the following chart that defines what combinations of food are equivalent to 1 cup of milk (click the image to enlarge it):
As sunlight is also a big source of Vitamin D, be sure your child gets exposure to sunlight as much as possible, and use the minimum amount of sunscreen required to protect your child from UV rays to reduce the risk of underexposure to sunlight.
Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that infants be kept out of direct sunlight and wear protective clothing and sunscreen when exposed to sunlight, the AAP recommends a daily supplement of vitamin D for breastfed infants beginning within the first 2 months of life unless they are weaned to receive at least 2 cups of vitamin D-fortified formula per day. Ask your pediatrician about vitamin D supplement requirements for your infant.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information regarding milk and other food requirements in your daily diet, visit the MyPyramid.gov website.
WHAT IS RICKETS AND WHO IS AT RISK?
Rickets is a bone-deforming disease that causes bowed legs, knock-knees, or other deformities of the legs and skeleton. Because the US government has required that milk, cereal, and other foods be fortified with vitamin D due to an epidemic of rickets in the 1930s, rickets is fairly rare in the United States; however, if your child cannot drink milk due to a lactose intolerance, milk allergy or just plain dislike of milk's taste, getting Vitamin D is not always that easy. Infants that are exclusively breastfed are also at a risk for rickets, because breast milk in itself does not provide adequate dietary levels of Vitamin D. In addition, infants and children that do not get enough exposure to sunlight are at increased risk for rickets.
DAILY MILK REQUIREMENTS
As mentioned above, milk, cereals and other foods are fortified with Vitamin D, so try to get your child to intake the required daily allowance as much as possible. If your child doesn't like plain milk, consider giving them flavored or chocolate milk, or other typically milk-based products such as yogurts, puddings and cheeses. Not all pre-packaged cheeses or puddings are fortified with Vitamin D, however, so be sure to read the food labels to ensure you are getting Vitamin D rich products. One way of ensuring your pudding has Vitamin D value is to buy a boxed pudding mix and make it with milk. If your child has a lactose intolerance, consider buying a lactose-free milk or soy milk, both of which are typically fortified with Vitamin D. Again, be sure to check the labels.
For children 8 and under, 2 cups of milk or milk-based products should be consumed daily. For children over 8 and adults, the requirement is 3 cups daily.
The USDA has come up with the following chart that defines what combinations of food are equivalent to 1 cup of milk (click the image to enlarge it):
One Cup of Milk Equivalents - Courtesy of MyPyramid.gov
As sunlight is also a big source of Vitamin D, be sure your child gets exposure to sunlight as much as possible, and use the minimum amount of sunscreen required to protect your child from UV rays to reduce the risk of underexposure to sunlight.
Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that infants be kept out of direct sunlight and wear protective clothing and sunscreen when exposed to sunlight, the AAP recommends a daily supplement of vitamin D for breastfed infants beginning within the first 2 months of life unless they are weaned to receive at least 2 cups of vitamin D-fortified formula per day. Ask your pediatrician about vitamin D supplement requirements for your infant.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information regarding milk and other food requirements in your daily diet, visit the MyPyramid.gov website.
Labels: bow legs, breast milk, milk, night sweating, profuse sweating, rickets, vitamin d, vitamin D deficiency
posted by ptowngirl @ 3/10/2008 11:23:00 PM
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