Do Kids Need Vitamin D Supplement in this pandemic Era? – Dr. Harish C | Doctors’ Circle

Dr. Harish C | Appointment booking number: 99623 14018
Consultant Paediatric Interventional Cardiologist | Joss Center Jayanagar 7th Block, Bengaluru
Vitamin D synthesis in the body needs exposure to sunlight and particularly in this pandemic the kids are remaining indoors. So the boy synthesis of Vitamin D has be significantly hampered. As we know 90% of the synthesis of Vitamin D happens from the body that mean is if there is immediate exposure to the sun then 90 of the body and the dietary intake gives only about 10% of required Vitamin D. So it is very important that Vitamin D is supplement. The prime importance is not only calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and the one mineralization. Recently it has been seen that the respiratory airway mechanism that it has been maintained by Vitamin D. So if the levels are maintained, the tendency for recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections has been found to be lower incidence as studied in elderly age groups. Vitamin D also helps in immunomodulation, say about the defense system of the body. So the defense mechanism if the body, the body takes care of it by giving immunomodualators and immune system gets activated. In this covid situation increased inflammatory markers are released and if this Vitamin D is released, the marked inflammatory response is suppressed, that is called as decrease in anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The other is increase in pro inflammatory mechanism. The other thing is increase in balancing immune activity of the system because more is also harmful and lesser is also harmful. So looking into all of this, it is better to supplement kids with Vitamin D, the usual dose for an infant would be 200 international units, for the older age groups is 400 international units. In addition if it is possible, allow the child to go out and play outside for sometime atleast maybe 15 minutes to half an hour, allow the body to get exposed to normal sunlight and allow normal synthesis of Vitamin D.
#VitaminD
#VitaminDKids