About half of all U.S. children under 5 years of age don’t get enough calcium in their diet. And more than 85% of adolescent girls and 60% of boys fail to take in the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium. According to Dr. Deborah Decker, pediatrician at the Children’s Clinic of SWLA, American children and teens are more at risk now for having bone problems later in life.

Calcium is a mineral that is essential for building healthy bones and teeth.  “About 50% of the calcium in adult bones is laid down during adolescence, so this is a critical time period for calcium intake,” said Decker.  “Once adulthood is reached, the body naturally begins losing small amounts of calcium from the bones—a process that worsens with age, particularly in women.” She advises that your child consume enough calcium and vitamin D and do weight-bearing exercises during childhood and adolescence so that she can build her bone mass high enough to prevent being at risk for weak, injury-prone bones now and as an adult.

 In childhood and adolescence, a chronic lack of calcium can result in:

·        Broken bones and fractures—recent studies show the number of children with bone fractures is on the rise.

·        Unhealthy teeth and gums—Calcium strengthens teeth and helps prevent gum disease and tooth decay.

·        Rickets—Rickets is a bone disease that results from lack of vitamin D. Although it was virtually wiped out in the 1950’s when vitamin D was added to milk, doctors are now seeing a resurgence of the diseased due to inadequate milk consumption in children.

In adulthood, calcium depletion can lead to osteoporosis, a painful, debilitating condition caused by loss of bone density.  Osteoporosis can result in severe limitation of the ability to move and perform everyday tasks, and puts those affected by it at risk for fractures and bone degeneration.

A glass of milk contains 300mg of calcium, almost one-fourth of the recommended daily intake of 1300mg for a child between 9 and 18. However, getting kids to drink their milk isn’t always easy.

Decker suggests that parents serve children milk instead of soft drinks or fruit drinks.  To make the transition more appealing to your child, use chocolate flavorings or make milk shakes.  There are plenty of other sources of calcium that are easy to add to your child’s diet. Yogurt contains 450mg of calcium per 1 cup serving.  Ice cream and cheese will help kids stock up on needed calcium.

If your child is lactose intolerant, a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice has the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk.  Beans, almonds, broccoli, and leafy green vegetables are non-dairy sources of calcium. 

Decker said if the calcium requirements just cannot be met through food, then age appropriate calcium supplements can be used.  “Understand that only a certain amount of calcium can be absorbed at one time,” Decker said, “so, the daily required amount of calcium should be divided and taken at separate times during the day.”

To reap the benefits of calcium, it is essential to have enough vitamin D in your body to help absorption of the calcium. Although milk is fortified with vitamin D, other calcium rich foods are generally not fortified with vitamin D and contain only small amounts.  Sun exposure is perhaps the most important source of vitamin D. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin D.  Decker said, “It is very important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet.”
            

Besides getting enough calcium and vitamin D, weight-bearing exercise is essential to help kids build strong bones. Children who sit in front of a computer or TV do not give their bones a chance to get enough mechanical stimulation for normal growth.

“Any type of exercise is healthy, but weight-bearing exercise is necessary to build strong bones,” Decker said. “This is exercise that forces you to work against gravity, such as walking, hiking, jogging, stair climbing, tennis and dancing.  Non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming or bicycling, have excellent cardiovascular benefits but don’t help in building bone mass.”

By helping your child now build strong bones with calcium, vitamin D, and exercise, you will reduce their risk of having bone problems and painful fracture from osteoporosis later in life.