Vitamins and minerals are an integral part of the metabolism of the child's body, performing the most important functions in ensuring growth and development. Calcium plays a primary role for children, participates in the formation of the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system, and affects mental activity. Mineral deficiency leads to serious consequences - nervous disorders, rickets (bone formation disorder in children), excess - to kidney failure, high blood pressure, cardiac arrest, coma.
Importance of calcium for children
By itself, the microelement does not have a certain benefit - it works only when interacting with other substances. For example, together with phosphorus, calcium strengthens teeth and bones, magnesium helps it protect the cardiovascular system. In addition, the mineral can be absorbed by the body only in combination with vitamin D. The trace element is the main building material for the formation of an actively growing child's body, it has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. Performs the following functions:
- proper formation of bone tissue;
- the formation of dentin and tooth enamel;
- development of nervous and muscular tissue, regulation of heart contractions;
- strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
- ensuring mental activity;
- proper functioning of the immune system, good condition of hair, skin, nails.
Daily rates
In children of different ages, the need for a microelement differs, taking into account the characteristics of a growing organism, nutrition and health status. The daily intake of the mineral according to WHO (World Health Organization) is presented in the following table:
Calcium deficiency symptoms
Pathology, which is accompanied by a lack of calcium, is called hypocalcemia. It is possible to establish an accurate diagnosis only after preliminary measures: general and biochemical blood tests. In addition, special studies allow you to accurately determine the concentration of not only calcium, but also other related substances (magnesium, vitamin D, phosphorus).
As a rule, parents' concern about a trace element deficiency in a child is caused by normal developmental features (for example, weak teeth or unsatisfactory growth rates), therefore, calcium-containing medications should only be used as prescribed by a doctor in order to avoid complications and side effects.
Often, hypocalcemia can be asymptomatic for a long time or resemble other diseases in appearance. Pathology is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Teeth, nails become brittle, unevenness and undulation of the nail plates are observed.
- Growth slows down.
- The excitability of muscle fibers and nerve structures increases, which can be manifested by twitching of the eyelids, trembling of the wings of the nose. With a significant deficiency, seizures may occur.
- There is sleep disturbance.
- Pathology is accompanied by palpitations (like bradycardia or tachycardia).
- There may be complaints of tingling of the fingertips.
- There are malfunctions in the digestive system (diarrhea, vomiting).
- A significant lack of trace elements causes loss of consciousness, memory problems, hallucinations.
Causes of calcium deficiency
There are two reasons for the lack of a trace element: either the food you eat does not contain enough of the mineral, or calcium is poorly absorbed by the body. As a rule, first the doctor pays attention to the daily diet, gives recommendations. If the diet is balanced, the cause may be a violation of the thyroid gland and the metabolism of vitamin D, through which calcium is absorbed. Possible causes of micronutrient deficiency:
- Some pathologies of the pancreas lead to the deposition of mineral salts in fatty necrosis.
- There are intestinal diseases in which the ability of the mucous membrane to absorb nutrients is impaired.
- An excess of phosphorus in the body can cause a lack of calcium. This often happens because of the feeding of children with goat or cow's milk (for these purposes it is necessary to use a special adapted mixture).
- The tumor can cause hypocalcemia.
- Some medications (anticonvulsants, diuretics, certain types of antibiotics) contribute to the "washout" of calcium from the body.
Children with calcium deficiency grow more slowly (at the same time, not only physical characteristics are disturbed, but also mental activity), they are more prone to allergies, and suffer from blood clotting disorders. A dangerous disease that develops as a result of hypocalcemia is rickets.
In addition, a lack of a mineral can provoke the appearance of scoliosis (severe spinal deformity) and osteoporosis (softening of bone tissue). Calcium-deficient children often break bones, bleed gums, and lose teeth. The most serious consequence of the pathology is irreversible damage to the nervous system, which can lead to multiple sclerosis.
Too much calcium in children
In some cases, parents, frightened by the prospect of a mineral deficiency, begin to uncontrollably give their child multivitamins with calcium without proper examination and a doctor's prescription, which can lead to serious deviations. As a result of such “treatment”, hypercalcemia develops (an excess of a microelement). This condition can go unnoticed for a long time, eventually leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and renal colic. In some cases, hypercalcemia leads to renal failure, coma, and cardiac arrest.
When to Take Calcium Supplements
After carrying out diagnostic measures, the doctor prescribes certain vitamins with calcium for children, taking into account the age, weight, general condition of the child, and pathologies present. As a rule, such drugs are used for the following deviations:
- thyroid disease;
- rickets (impaired bone formation and mineral metabolism);
- pathologies of the hematopoietic system (for example, clotting disorders);
- chronic and acute forms of allergy;
- skin diseases (dermatitis, eczema);
- hypocalcemia (during the period of accelerated growth).
Foods containing calcium
Often, when contacting a doctor in connection with a suspected mineral deficiency, the specialist first questions the parents in detail about the presence of a sufficient amount of the microelement in the daily diet. Then he gives the necessary recommendations for changing the amount of certain foods rich in calcium consumed, such as:
- seaweed;
- seafood, sea fish (sardine);
- nuts;
- greens (mint, parsley, thyme);
- garlic;
- sesame;
- beans;
- figs, dried apricots;
- potatoes, cabbage.
There is an erroneous opinion that only milk has a high mineral content - you should not give it to a child against his will. The use of cow's and goat's milk for feeding infants leads to a lack of the substance, since the phosphorus present there is able to “wash out” the mineral from the body. In the absence of breastfeeding, the child must be fed with special adapted mixtures.
Calcium preparations for children
There are many calcium-containing drugs, they should be used only as directed by a doctor, while adjusting the diet and providing the child with the necessary amount of physical activity. As a rule, mineral preparations contain not only calcium, but also vitamin D, phosphorus, and magnesium. The complex use of these substances ensures better absorption of calcium and its preservation in bone tissue.
In most cases, calcium for children is prescribed twice a year. The schedule for taking the medicine, the dosage is important - an adult should control this in order to avoid errors and side effects (for example, allergic rashes with a slight increase in dose). Currently existing children's medicines are produced in the form of sweet syrup, lozenges, chewable tablets, which is especially attractive for a small child.
Calcium gluconate is the most popular mineral-based medicine available in the form of tablets and solutions for intravenous injection. Gluconate tablets are produced in dosages of 250 and 500 mg, sometimes with the addition of fruit additives. Intravenous injections of the mineral are made to adult patients in especially severe conditions; it is forbidden to use them on their own.
For children under 1 year old
As a rule, preparations for babies are available in powder form with the addition of a fruity flavor, which must be mixed with water before use. Some popular medical remedies:
- Complivit is available in powder form, from which it is easy to prepare a delicious suspension. The advantage is that parents do not need to crush the tablets, mix with milk or water, calculate the dosage of the drug, and persuade the child to drink the mixture. Before use, you need to add water to the bottle, mix the suspension and measure the right amount with a special measuring spoon.
- Calcium D is a complex remedy containing, in addition to the main mineral, vitamin D. Calcium D is used not only for infants, but also for older children. Available in the form of a delicious syrup, the right amount of which is easily measured with a measuring spoon. For children under 1 year old, the syrup is pre-mixed with water or breast milk.
From 1 year
Calcium for children from 1 year old is available in the form of preparations containing a number of vitamins and minerals, the action of which is aimed at the growth of epithelial cells and bone tissue, the correct formation of the immune response. Some popular drugs:
- Multi-tabs contains vitamins D, E, K, group B, nicotinamide, folic and ascorbic acids, a number of trace elements (magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, etc.). Produced in the form of tablets, it is forbidden to take the remedy for children under 4 years of age.
- Calcium+ Vitamins are a multivitamin for children over 3 years old, available in the form of delicious jelly candies.
For teenagers
Vitamins with calcium for adolescents play a special role, since children during this period, without ceasing to grow, are actively involved in studies and sports. Some popular drugs:
- Alphabet - different combinations of vitamins and microelements used in different age categories. For example, there are tablets Shkolnik (for teenagers 7-14 years old), Teenager (14-18 years old).
- Vitrum is a complex preparation produced in the form of tablets, each of which, as a rule, contains the daily norm of essential vitamins and microelements. Helps to increase the body's resistance to the negative influence of the external environment, protects the teenager from infections, viruses.
- Biovital is also a vitamin-mineral complex, the components of which are involved in the protection of cell membranes from lipid oxidation products, help regulate the redox reactions of the body.
Contraindications and side effects
The use of calcium-containing drugs has a number of side effects related to the malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract - bloating, constipation, diarrhea. The use of all calcium-based medicines for children should be prescribed and under the supervision of a specialist, since the use of such medicines entails serious consequences that can cost the child's life.
In addition, it should be borne in mind that in the treatment of a number of pathologies (for example, phenylketonuria), vitamin-mineral complexes (including calcium-containing ones) are prescribed, which affects metabolism and leads to an excess of the microelement. List of some contraindications:
- hyperparathyroidism (leads to the accumulation of the mineral in the body);
- neoplasms of an oncological nature;
- urolithiasis of the kidneys;
- dysmetabolic nephropathy (metabolic disorder leading to the formation of salts in the urine).
