Tag Archive for 'American Academy of Pediatrics'

More vitamin D now recommended for children

Published on September 5, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending that infants, children and adolescents get double the amount of vitamin D that was previously advised. This new clinical report, called Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children and Adolescents, indicates that all children should get 400 international units (IU) of Vitamin D, the same as drinking four eight ounce glasses of fortified mile each day.

Frank Greer, MD, FAAP, who is chair of the AAP Committee on Nutrition and co-author of the report, “Supplementation is important because most children will not get enough vitamin D through diet alone” says “we are doubling the recommended amount of vitamin D children need each day because evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits.”

There are new indicators revealing that vitamin D, along with building strong bones, could prevent diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Children who don’t get enough vitamin D are vulnerable to getting rickets, which is a bone disease that can cause growth problems and fractures and lead to developing osteoporosis as they age.

So how does one get more vitamin D? Well, first we need to understand that our bodies don’t make their own vitamin D, so we have to get it from other sources such as diet or sunlight. The body creates vitamin D when sunlight reaches our skin. Unfortunately direct sun exposure raises the risk for skin cancer, so it is important to limit your exposure to no more than about 20 minutes.

A safer way to help your child the suggested amount of vitamin D is through the food they eat each day. Some vitamin D rich foods are tuna, salmon, eggs and fortified milk, but it is hard for kids to get enough vitamin D through diet alone. Your pediatrician can help you decide if a supplement, like an over-the counter vitamin D with 100 to 400 IUs, is what your individual child needs.

In the future, new guidelines may induce a surge of vitamin D-fortified foods in the grocery store. Until then, your pediatrician is probably your best source for information. It is not a good idea to give a supplement without a recommendation, because they may already be getting the amount of vitamin D that they need.

Here are some ways to get more vitamin D into your child’s daily diet:

  •  Cereal with fortified milk for breakfast or a snack
  •  Cream-based soups or use fortified milk instead of water in soup or hot cereal
  •  Fortified yogurt instead of ice cream as a treat – freeze in ice pop trays
  •  Serve pudding made with fortified milk for dessert
  •  Buy orange juice that is fortified with vitamin D
  •  Make smoothies with fortified milk, yogurt and fruit
  •  Get cereal bars and cereals that are fortified
  •  Make sandwiches with egg salad or cheese ( cut into fun shapes )

Food allergies in kids are increasing

Published on November 1, 2010 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Many elementary teachers are noticing that more and more children have food allergies. Well, it is a fact that food allergies among children are definitely increasing. In fact, between 1997 and 2007, the amount of children with food allergies has increased by an astounding 18 percent.

Some people believe it is because of the ever increasing awareness of food allergy signs and symptoms. There is also more food allergy testing available to the public.

There is some evidence that these increasing amounts of food allergies is an actuality and not perceived, as some have believed in the past. A study from the Children’s Hospital of Boston reported that pediatric emergency room visits because of food allergies has doubled between 2001 and 2006. Currently, it is believed that 4 percent of U.S. children have food allergies.

It is not known why food allergies are rising. There are many explanations.

Milk, eggs, nuts, soy, fish and wheat are the most common allergenic foods. Some people think that bringing these foods into a child’s diet too early might lead to a food allergy. On the flip side, some experts believe that delaying the introduction of these foods could be the reason. Family history can also come into play.

Parents will definitely continue to hear confusing advice about prevention of these food allergies, until scientists finally are able to discover the reason for these allergies to occur. At the moment, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests breast-feeding only until six months of age. Following this advice has been proven in studies to bring down the occurrence of food allergies and eczema.

After an infant has turned six months old, the AAP doesn’t recommend holding off on introducing any particular type of food group. This said, be sure to check with your doctor about specific advice about the introduction of solid foods if your infant has eczema, asthma, known food allergies or a family history of food allergies.