Calcium is a vital mineral for developing strong bones and teeth. This mineral is also essential for smooth functioning of nerves, heart, muscles, and other important body systems.
Many people don’t get enough calcium and suffer from hypocalcaemia. Some people can’t absorb this mineral properly. Therefore, they have calcium deficiency.
Can a 6 months old baby suffer from calcium deficiency? Yes, many infants experience this health issue. They need regular breastfeeding, vitamin D, and a 6-month baby calcium supplement to treat this health issue.
Here you can learn everything about calcium deficiency in infants, its symptoms and cures. This information can help new parents in preventing hypocalcaemia in 6 months old babies!
Which Symptoms Indicate Calcium Deficiency in 6 Months Old Babies?
Babies get quite active and strong when they are 6 months old. It is still tough to understand the symptoms of calcium deficiency. The following symptoms point out lack of calcium in newborns and infants:
Restlessness
It gets much tougher for a 6 months old infant to fall asleep. Suppose the child sleeps for a while, he will wake up so quickly. That’s what lack of calcium does to babies.
Irritability
Your child will never seem happy or calm when he has calcium deficiency. He may cry a lot for no reason. It can’t be easy for parents to see the baby in such a condition.
Sweating
Infants sweat a lot due to this health condition. Even though it is the winter season, your child will sweat. That’s another sign that he lacks calcium.
Occipital baldness
Calcium deficient babies lose hairs from the back of their head. It continues for several weeks or months. Your baby’s skull will also feel much softer than other infants of his age!
You must take the child to the hospital to diagnose what’s causing these symptoms. The pediatrician will most probably diagnose calcium deficiency and offer proper treatment.
How to Meet A 6-month Old Baby’s Calcium Demands?
A 6-month baby calcium supplement is the best treatment for hypocalcaemia. However, it’s not the only cure! You should find out how much calcium your child needs to fulfill his daily calcium demands.
A 6-month old baby needs 200-260 mg of calcium every day. Breastfeeding moms can easily meet the child’s daily calcium needs by feeding on demand. Breast milk provides 200-300 mg of calcium per day. It is enough to replenish the calcium storage of an infant.
A 6-month old baby can also consume complementary meals. So, you can feed him calcium and vitamin D-rich meals every day. A perfect mixed-feeding routine can eliminate the need for calcium supplement.
Can You Feed External Food to the Child To Cure and Prevent Calcium Deficiency?
Babies grow pretty rapidly after 6 months. Their calcium demands increase and they need healthy meals to gain all the essential nutrients. Yes, breast milk still make a larger portion of the baby’s daily diet, but it’s not enough.
Parents can choose calcium lactate-rich baby formulas and other products to keep the child healthy. Calcium deficiency in this age can have dire consequences. It’s the time when the child gets teeth and he grows taller. So, he needs calcium and lack of calcium can severely affect the growth.
Parents should be extra careful when choosing edible products for a 6-month old baby. Check the label and nutrient count. Look for ingredients rich in calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients. Don’t forget to check reviews because other parents will help you in buying a top-rated product for the baby.
Is It Necessary to Breastfeed After 6 Months to Prevent Calcium Deficiency?
It is the time to add complementary meals to the baby’s daily diet when your child is 6 months old. That doesn’t mean you should wean off! Mothers should breastfeed the child at least for two years.
Baby’s appetite increases as he grows. That’s why the WHO recommends feeding complementary foods after 6 months. Breast milk is still quite nutritious and an ideal source of nutrition. Your baby receives a large portion of his daily calcium supply from breast milk. Therefore, it is necessary to breastfeed after 6 months.
1. Feed calcium-rich complementary foods
You can create a long list of foods if you decide to feed calcium, vitamin D, and protein-rich foods. There are many health food choices. You should try them all so that your child can have something new to eat every day. Do some research on food quality, its nutritional value, and then pick top-quality foods for your child.
2. Prepare baby-friendly recipes
Spicy, oily, sugary, and acidic foods are not good for your child’s health. His digestive system is not as good as adults have. Therefore, you should avoid feeding your food to the child. Pick recipes which benefit the child.
Go online to find some delicious health drinks and foods for your 6-month old child. You will discover a variety of option in foods, which are easy to prepare.
How to Increase Calcium Absorption Rate in A 6-month Old Child?
Vitamin D is extremely essential to increase calcium absorption rate. Your 6-month old baby also needs it to absorb more calcium to get stronger bones and teeth. Therefore, your child needs more vitamin D to fight calcium deficiency. Try the following solutions to provide your baby with more vitamin D.
1. Take out of the house for 15-30 minutes
Many 6 months old baby are smart enough to enjoy the exterior view. They often demand for it and parents take their child out on a stroller. Avoid taking your baby out during the evening time. Go out during the morning time.
A 15-30 minutes excursion in the local park will be good enough to provide nourishing sunlight to the child. Sunlight increases vitamin D levels in our body, which helps in absorbing more calcium. Besides, you and the child get some fresh air to feel refreshed and energetic.
Calcium deficient babies might sweat a lot in the sunlight. Do not worry about it! Use a soft tissue or towel to wipe the sweat and feed some water to the baby. Thus, excess sweating won’t affect your baby’s health.
2. Feed foods rich in vitamin D
Breast milk offers quite a tiny amount of vitamin D! It’s a rich supplier of many nutrients, but not VD. Therefore, you have to feed vitamin D fortified milk and other foods rich in VD.
Choose foods, which your child can digest easily. Egg and egg yolk are rich in vitamin D. You can also add red meat and oily fish into your baby’s diet as he grows.
What Should You Learn About Vitamin D Supplementation?
Parents want the child to be healthy all the time. Calcium deficiency makes things quite troubling for infants. Parents often wonder it’s their fault that the child is suffering. Some get too cautious and avoid anything that may hurt the child.
Most parents try to avoid supplements so that the child can stay away from side-effects. Does vitamin D supplement cause side-effects? It can cause health problems if fed excessively. Parents should take the baby to the hospital and consult with a doctor.
The doctor can easily diagnose calcium or VD deficiency. He can offer the best way of supplementing these nutrients. Most doctors will suggest taking the baby out in sunlight. It quickly replenishes vitamin D and helps the child in absorbing more calcium.
Is It Mandatory To Feed Calcium Supplements After 6 Months?
Unlike newborns and 3-4 months old infants, 6 months old babies can consume external foods. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt have much higher calcium content. Start feeding baby formulas and milk-based health drinks to the child. Thus, the baby will get ample amount of calcium from his food.
You can also find calcium-fortified soy drinks, edamame, calcium-set tofu, broccoli, kale, collard greens, Chinese cabbage, almonds, and sesame seeds to feed the baby. All these foods are rich in calcium and other nutrients.
It is not mandatory to feed 6-month baby calcium supplement. Many parents never feed such supplements to the child and their children are still healthy and strong. Your focus should always remain on feeding nutrient-rich foods to the child. Let the child enjoy the sunlight. Thus, he can quickly recover from hypocalcaemia and gain stronger bones and teeth.
How To Choose The Best Calcium Supplement For A 6-month Old Baby?
It is pretty puzzling to find the best 6-month baby calcium supplement. So many products are available in the market and all seem beneficial. Check the product label and go online to find some genuine reviews.
You can also check detailed reviews online to find pros and cons the chosen calcium supplement. Or, take your child to a pediatrician and feed a supplement recommended by him. Thus, you will also know the right dose and time to feed the supplement to the baby.
Conclusion
Calcium is extremely essential for strong bones and better health of your child. Use the information shared in this post regarding 6-month baby calcium supplement to take better care of your child.
