Do one-year-old babies need calcium supplements?

Many parents believe that babies do not need calcium supplements when they are very young, because babies at this time eat milk powder or drink milk every day and have nothing to lack. In fact, this is not the case. One-year-old babies also need calcium supplements. If the baby's body lacks calcium, it will cause the baby to walk too late or his body to develop slowly. Let’s take a look at whether one-year-old babies need calcium supplements.

Does a one and a half year old baby need calcium supplement?

1. Babies aged one and a half years need calcium supplements. The normal calcium requirement for babies aged 1 to 3 years old is 600 mg per day. If your child drinks 400 to 600 ml of formula milk every day, there is no need for additional calcium supplementation. Of course, babies cannot necessarily fully absorb the calcium in formula milk. The absorption rate varies between 40% and 60%. Therefore, babies can be given a small amount of calcium supplement. Babies under 6 months old need 300 mg of elemental calcium per day. Subtract this amount from the amount of calcium provided in formula milk throughout the day to get the amount of additional calcium the baby needs.

2. Calcium is the main mineral that promotes the growth and development of baby's bones and teeth. Babies over one year old are in the stage of growing bones and teeth, so it is very important to supplement calcium. For babies, milk is the best source of calcium absorption. Generally, babies of this age (baby food) should be guaranteed to eat more than 400 ml of milk every day.

How to supplement calcium for a one and a half year old baby

1. Some mothers like to give their children more bone soup to supplement calcium. Nutrition experts believe that bone soup cannot provide enough calcium. Babies should pay attention to their daily intake of vitamin D and avoid factors in the diet that hinder calcium absorption, such as tannic acid, oxalic acid, phytic acid (containing a lot of spinach, wild rice stem, tea, coffee, etc.) and carbonated beverages.

2. Don’t worry too much about your child’s calcium deficiency. As long as the child develops normally, has a healthy diet, and has enough milk, there is no need to worry.

3. Be careful when testing your child's calcium level. Do not take X-rays to measure bone density, and do not inject VD. Otherwise, it will do more harm than good to the child. When it comes to calcium supplementation, food supplements are better than medicine supplements.

Mothers don’t need to worry too much about their babies’ calcium deficiency. As long as the daily milk supply is sufficient, the baby can absorb calcium from the breast milk. In addition, if the baby is calcium deficient, the mother can first supplement calcium through food, or take the baby out to bask in the sun more often. Do not give the baby any medicine or injections randomly, otherwise it will be counterproductive. Raising children now requires science. It cannot be compared with the past and must keep pace with the times.