Being a vital mineral, calcium plays a crucial role in keeping us healthy. Just like adults, babies also gain calcium from foods they eat and drink. Proper calcium supply ensures stronger bones and durable teeth. Calcium is also a vital mineral for nerves, heart, muscles, and other important bodily functions.
Hypocalcemia is a medical condition in which a person suffers from a lack of calcium problem. If the calcium levels decrease, the baby may also suffer from this health issue. Parents should learn how to diagnose baby calcium deficiency problem.
Continue reading to gain comprehensive knowledge regarding this health issue and its cure.
How to Know Your Baby Has Calcium Deficiency?
Doe your child walk unsteadily, sweat a lot, or teeth slowly? These issues indicate that your baby has a calcium deficiency. You may want to confirm it before feeding any calcium supplement to the child.
Suppose the baby doesn’t have calcium deficiency and you feed calcium supplement, it will cause an excess of calcium in his body. Prevent such risks by making proper assessments. Assess the following things to reveal the truth!
1. Does your baby take a healthy diet?
A 6-month-old child should get 200mg calcium per day. A 7-12 months old baby should get 250mg, and a 1-3 years old baby should get 600mg of calcium per day. Your baby has calcium deficiency if he doesn’t get the mentioned amount of calcium per day according to his age.
Breast milk fulfills a child’s calcium needs when he is younger than 6 months. Even formula-fed babies show no signs of calcium deficiency. Most babies face this problem when the mother wean off after 6 months. Provide a well-balanced diet if you are also planning to do so!
2. Reduced milk intake
Babies may not consume enough milk due to increased intake of juice, carbonated drinks, and other foods. It can lead to calcium deficiency. Parents should strictly monitor the child’s diet. Milk provides many essential nutrients, including calcium. It should make a major portion of the child’s daily diet.
3. Vitamin D deficiency
Some babies do not have a calcium deficiency. They consume enough milk and get a healthy diet, but they can’t absorb calcium. It happens due to vitamin D deficiency. The lack of vitamin D can affect your child’s calcium absorption capability. Consult with the doctor to diagnose this issue and then feed vitamin D supplement to the child. It will help!
4. Are you feeding calcium-rich foods to the child?
Children sometimes suffer from calcium deficiency because parents do not feed calcium-rich foods. Milk is the best source of calcium. Mothers should breastfeed the baby at least for the first two years of his life. Make green veggies, fish, and shrimp an important part of the child’s daily diet.
What Are the Signs of Severe Calcium Deficiency in Children?
Check the following baby calcium deficiency signs to treat this problem before it gets out of hand.
1. Irritation
Calcium deficiency can cause severe irritation! Your baby will cry for no reason. You may try to feed him meals, but the child won’t take an interest. Even if he somehow sleeps, he will wake up quickly and cry.
2. Sweating
Your baby will sweat a lot, even if it is not hot out there. That’s another sign of baby calcium deficiency.
3. Thin and yellowish hair
Your baby’s hair will look thinner and yellowish. He may also lose hairs from the back of his head.
4. Delayed teething
Children with calcium deficiency get teeth later than other kids. The baby may also get uneven or poorly aligned teeth due to calcium deficiency.
5. Muscle weakness
Calcium deficiency can cause muscle spasm and cramps in babies.
6. Weakness
Your baby will look pretty lethargic and he may not react properly. He won’t be as active as other children of his age are.
7. Structural issues
Calcium deficiency can cause structural deformity in children. The baby may have beaded ribs, a square skull, and other issues.
8. Poor immunity
Some babies also experience loss of appetite due to calcium deficiency. It can weaken his immune system and cause several health problems!
9. The child is prone to eczema
Do you spot the signs of eczema on your child’s face, head, or behind ears? It can be due to calcium deficiency. This sign is often accompanied by restlessness and excess sweating.
Why Severe Calcium Deficiency Is A Serious Concern?
Calcium is quite essential for the proper development of a child. Severe calcium deficiency can seriously disrupt growth! The situation can get quite tough because of the following reasons:
It can cause serious health problems!
Severe calcium deficiency can cause health issues, such as rickets. The child’s condition can improve if he is not suffering from severe calcium deficiency. Over the counter calcium supplements will do the job and your baby will get healthy. You should consult with a doctor in case of severe calcium deficiency because it’s a concerning situation!
It can cause structural deformities!
A baby’s fontanelle gets larger and his skull gets softer due to calcium deficiency. His legs may get X-shaped or O-shaped due to a poor supply of calcium in the body. His rib structure gets softer. The baby gets quite weaker over time and experiences bone fractures. You can avoid these problems if you treat the problem in time.
Constant discomfort
Your child won’t feel comfortable at all. He may cry day and night and it won’t be easy to see the baby in such a restless condition. The baby will sweat a lot and experience skin problems. Lack of calcium will also cause affect teething and your baby may have poorly aligned teeth.
All these problems can make things quite daunting for your child. Therefore, you should take the necessary steps to cure this issue before it reaches that severe stage!
What Should You Do to Cure Severe Calcium Deficiency in the Child?
Calcium accounts for 1.5%-2.0% weight of a person’s body. Therefore, it is the most abundant mineral in our body. Calcium deficiency directly affects the bone structure. Babies need this mineral daily to stay strong and grow perfectly.
You should not take the baby calcium deficiency problem lightly. Try the following solutions to increase calcium levels in your child’s body:
Provide oral calcium supplement
Many calcium supplements are available in the market. You can choose an inorganic or organic supplement that offers quick benefits. Make sure the supplement is designed for babies. Check some user reviews to ensure the product is safe for your baby.
The label on the packaging should provide the feeding instruction. It should also mention how much you should feed the baby. Continue feeding this supplement until there are no signs of calcium deficiency.
Add more calcium-rich foods to the baby
Your baby does not need any special food if he is younger than 6 months. Feed breast milk on demand and your baby will get the necessary calcium supply. The baby will need complementary meals once he is 6 months old.
Choose nutrient-rich foods for your baby’s daily diet. Pick foods rich in calcium. They will replenish the calcium babies lose due to certain disease. You can easily find a list of the best calcium-rich foods for babies. Choose some delicious baby-friendly recipes and prepare them for your child daily.
Take your baby out in the sunlight daily
Sunlight provides vitamin D, which is quite essential for calcium absorption. Your baby might suffer from severe calcium deficiency due to a lack of vitamin D. Take him daily out in the sunlight to provide a daily dose of vitamin D. It will increase your baby’s calcium absorption capacity and he will get stronger much faster.
What Should You Feed To The Baby When He Has Severe Calcium Deficiency?
You should first take the child to a pediatric doctor to get the right medications. The baby needs proper treatment to recover faster. The doctor will order certain tests to diagnose the root cause of the problem. It can be vitamin D deficiency or calcium deficiency.
Provide proper treatment and feed the following things to cure baby calcium deficiency.
Milk
You should not wean off too early because it can cause calcium deficiency in the baby. Breast milk is quite essential until the child is 2 years old. Try mixed feeding after 6 months. Increase the amount of calcium-rich formula milk to meet the baby’s daily calcium needs.
Calcium-rich veggies
Mothers can choose from a variety of foods when the child is 6-12 months old. Choose calcium-rich veggies. These vegetables will not only provide but also other nutrients to make the child healthier.
Calcium-rich ingredients
Choose recipes, which include dairy products, soybeans, shrimps, small fish, oyster, etc. All these foods are rich in calcium. You can prepare a variety of recipes using these ingredients. Citric acid containing fruits also help in replenishing the calcium supply.
Conclusion
It can be tough to see what baby calcium deficiency does to our little ones. Try the solutions shared in this post to cure calcium deficiency and make your baby stronger.
