The best time to supplement calcium for infants and young children

Calcium is the most important thing for human growth and development. Whether it is children or adults, calcium is very important to us. Babies need to continuously absorb calcium during their growth process, so that they can effectively help bone development. If the baby does not supplement calcium in time, it is easy to cause calcium deficiency. So when is the best time for infants and young children to supplement calcium?

1. The best time for infants to supplement calcium

According to the baby's growth and development, the best time to supplement calcium for babies is when the baby shows early symptoms of calcium deficiency, such as night sweats, night terrors, crying at night, rubbing the pillow, baldness on the pillow, etc., or when the baby shows signs of developmental delay (the development of babies under one year old is "lift at two, turn over at four, sit at six, roll at seven, crawl at eight, and walk at one year old"). For example, the baby cannot lift his head after 2 months, cannot turn over after 4 months, cannot sit steadily at half a year old, cannot crawl at 7 or 8 months, cannot stand or walk when he is almost one year old, etc. These symptoms indicate that the baby is calcium deficient, and it is best to supplement calcium at this time.

2. Common methods of calcium supplementation for infants

If we distinguish by season, the best time for calcium supplementation for babies is in summer. The temperature is high in summer, and babies can get more sun exposure outdoors. Ultraviolet rays shining on exposed skin can synthesize vitamin D in the body and promote calcium absorption. Therefore, calcium supplementation in summer will get twice the result with half the effort.

Calcium supplements from food

Among the methods of calcium supplementation for babies, dietary supplementation is the best, mainly because it does not have side effects like drugs. If your baby's calcium deficiency is not very serious, you can add dried shrimps, beans, fish and other foods to your normal diet. Eat less vegetables and other foods that affect calcium absorption.

Take calcium supplements

Sometimes babies cannot get enough calcium through eating alone. If the baby's calcium deficiency is serious, he or she needs to take appropriate calcium supplements. When taking calcium supplements, it is important to note that different calcium supplements are absorbed in different amounts and have different calcium contents. According to data, the calcium content of calcium carbonate is about 40%, calcium acetate 29%, calcium citrate 21%, calcium hydrogen phosphate 15%, calcium lactate 13%, and calcium gluconate 9%. Experts point out that you should choose products with high calcium content and relatively low prices. Although the calcium content of calcium lactate is not very high, it is well absorbed and is a good choice for calcium supplementation for babies.

To sum up, the best time to supplement calcium for babies is in the early stages of calcium deficiency. At this time, some obvious symptoms of calcium deficiency will appear, and parents can appropriately supplement calcium for babies based on these symptoms. In addition, you can also give your baby some calcium-containing foods, which is very helpful in preventing calcium deficiency. If the calcium deficiency is severe, you can also take appropriate calcium supplements.