Yesterday the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommendation for the daily of dose of vitamin D from 200 international units of vitamin D to 400 for children beginning the first few days of life. Breast-fed infants are also urged to receive vitamin D supplements. Now new research shows doubling vitamin D helps keeps bones strong and it also has lifelong health benefits by helping fight off other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Why are kids more at risk? Kids today are not getting as much time in the sun, one of the best sources of vitamin D. Plus, most kids get vitamin D in milk and kids are eating less. Most milk you buy at the grocery is fortified with vitamin D, but most kids and teens don't drink enough. Kids need to drink 4 cups of milk to get enough vitamin D. Another source of vitamin D is eating oily fish tuna, mackerel and sardines. How much Vitamin D should your child take? Doctors are recommending children take a supplement to reach the desired dose. You should talk to your pediatrician to determine the amount you need to give your children depending on diet.
Dr. Ian Smith explains the new recommendation to Julie Chen on this CBS video clip.
