Is it good for children to take calcium tablets?

Calcium tablets are a type of food that can supplement calcium. For people who are calcium deficient, eating a moderate amount of calcium tablets can achieve a good calcium supplement effect. Many parents will give their children calcium tablets to supplement calcium as their children grow. In fact, blindly supplementing calcium is not advisable, especially for children, who generally do not need to take calcium tablets. Let me introduce the specific reasons to you below!

1. 0-6 months

The main food for children under 6 months old is breast milk or formula milk. Generally speaking, every 600mL of breast milk or 400mL of formula milk contains 200mg of calcium, so in fact, if the baby gets enough milk every day, there is no need for additional calcium supplementation.

2. 7-12 months

For children of this age group, they need 250 mg of calcium per day, which is equivalent to 700 mL of breast milk or 500 mL of formula milk, which is generally easy to achieve. In addition, as children gradually start to eat complementary foods, the various dairy products and soy products in the complementary foods are rich in calcium and can also ensure partial calcium intake.

3. 1-3 years old

At this time, the child's diet has begun to gradually approach that of an adult. They can basically ensure 400-500mL of milk or formula milk intake every day. Combined with eating some soy products, vegetables, etc., the calcium requirement is fully met.

4. 3-6 years old

It is very easy to ensure more than 300mL of milk every day. Most of the pure milk on the market is packaged in a box of 250mL. One box in the morning and evening is completely sufficient. In addition, if you eat a balanced diet and ensure that you have enough grains, dark vegetables, meat, eggs and other foods, you do not need to take additional calcium supplements.

In fact, whether from the "Maternal and Infant Health Literacy" issued by the Ministry of Health or from the World Health Organization's recommended calcium intake for infants of different age groups, as long as the infants and young children have a normal diet, that is, they eat breast milk or standard formula milk, and add solid food after six months of age, including cereals, vegetables, meat and eggs, there is generally no need to supplement calcium for children.

On the contrary, if you give your children calcium tablets indiscriminately, not only will you be wasting money, but too much may cause side effects and even illness. For example, it can cause weight loss, poor appetite, constipation in infants and young children, as well as kidney stones and calcium deposition on blood vessel walls.

Therefore, if parents can ensure that their children have a balanced diet, they do not need to give their children so many calcium tablets on their own.