What Is the Best Time to Supplement Calcium?

Newborns and infants rely completely on their parents for a healthy diet and comforting life. Modern parents try their best to ensure the child is happy, healthy, and fit. They provide the baby with the best care and comfort they can afford. However, some babies still face health problems.

Some unknown health conditions like hypocalcaemia affect the baby’s health. His growth slows down and he faces several other health issues.

Every human being needs a daily supply of calcium to stay fit and strong. Babies also need this mineral because they are in the prime bone-building phase. Some babies lack calcium due to several reasons and it affects their development.

Learn the best time to supplement calcium and you can protect your child against this health issue. Continue reading to learn when and how to feed calcium supplement to your child.

What Is The Best Time To Feed Calcium Supplement To The Baby?

Newborn babies are quite fragile. They need a steady supply of nutrient-rich food to stay healthy and grow faster. Calcium is one of several nutrients babies need for proper development.

Newborns can have congenital calcium deficiency and it can slow down their growth. Lack of calcium hinders the growth process and causes many health problems in babies. Therefore, quick supplementation of calcium is quite important to keep the child healthy.

This is how and when you should feed calcium supplement to your baby:

Look for the early symptoms of calcium deficiency

Your child will give many signs to indicate he has a calcium deficiency. Irritable behavior, excess sweating, poor sleep, and poor diet are a few symptoms. You should take your child to the doctor if he has occipital baldness. It’s a severe calcium deficiency symptom and this condition can be quite harmful to your child.  

The doctor might suggest a good calcium supplement for the child. Feed it daily the way the doctor recommends. Thus, you can treat calcium deficiency in your child quickly.

Physical developmental delay

Calcium deficiency can also cause early motor delay or physical developmental delay in babies. Delayed sitting, rolling, walking, and poor head and neck control are a few signs of delayed physical development.

Babies usually start raising their head after 2 months. They turn over after 4 months and most babies start sitting after 6 months. Does your baby do these activities according to his age? It can be calcium deficiency if he can’t.

It is the best time to start feeding calcium supplement to the child. That’s how your child will recover faster and do activities like other healthy kids of a

Best season to feed calcium supplement

Summertime is the best time to supplement calcium. Take your child out for an excursion in the morning time. Thus, he will get an ample amount of vitamin D from the sunlight. Vitamin D helps in absorbing calcium from the consumed food.

You can also feed calcium supplements in other seasons if it is necessary. The summer season is the best because the child won’t lack vitamin D in this season.

How Old Your Baby Should Be to Take A Calcium Supplement?

The infancy period is when babies grow at a rapid pace. Therefore, their calcium requirements are quite high during this phase. Breastfeeding babies get a sufficient amount of calcium from breast milk.

Parents need to feed calcium-rich meals along with breast milk after 6 months. Calcium deficiency can affect the child if he doesn’t get enough calcium from his food.  

When you can feed calcium supplement to your child?

Most health experts agree that you can feed calcium supplements after 2 weeks of birth. Calcium deficiency can be a congenital disease. It is important to meet the child’s calcium demands because it can affect his health and growth.

You can consult with a pediatric doctor. The doctor will assess your child’s health and provide the best advice.

Isn’t breastfeeding enough to meet the child’s calcium needs?

Breastfeeding is enough to nourish a child until he is 6 months old. Breast milk offers 225-250 mg calcium per day. Newborns need the same amount of calcium per day until they are 5-6 months old.

Newborns need calcium supplementation only when the child is born with calcium deficiency. The doctor should recommend a perfect supplement in such a situation.

Does weaning affect a baby’s calcium supply?

Most babies do not consume breast milk after 2 years. They rely completely on foods parents feed. The baby won’t suffer from calcium deficiency if you feed calcium-rich meals daily. Milk, dairy products, and soybean-based foods should be a part of your baby’s daily diet.

Suppose your child doesn’t get a proper diet and suffers from calcium deficiency, you should feed him a calcium supplement.

Many supplements producing brands provide calcium supplements for babies. Choose the supplement from a top-rated brand. Feed the product daily to meet your child’s calcium needs.

How to Know the Right Amount of Calcium Supplement Your Baby Needs?

If your child takes a perfect diet and still shows the sign of calcium deficiency, he needs calcium supplement. It can be daunting to know how much supplement your child needs. Know how much calcium your child is lacking per day. Replenish the missing calcium supply through the food or supplement.

Take your child to a hospital if has developed many symptoms of calcium deficiency. The doctor will find out how much calcium your child needs per day. He will recommend the right amount of calcium supplement, like 200 mg, 300mg, etc.

Your baby’s calcium needs change with his age in the following way:

• 200-300 mg/day: 0-5 months age

• 400 mg/day: 5-12 months old

• 600 mg/day: 1-4 years old

• 800 mg/day: 4-11 years old

Your baby should not suffer from calcium deficiency if he gets the necessary amount of calcium from his food. This health issue troubles the child only when the mother starts mixed feeding too early or the baby doesn’t get a proper diet.

How to Make Sure Your Baby Is Getting Sufficient Calcium From His Food?

Some parents might not be comfortable with feeding supplements to infants and toddlers. Therefore, they want to ensure the child gets enough calcium from his food. What is the simplest way of doing that? Let’s find out:

Feed dairy products daily

Even though you have stopped breastfeeding, your child needs milk. Milk and dairy products meet your child’s protein and calcium needs. Some babies may not like milk, so parents should make it more delicious. Many products make milk more nutritious and delicious. You can choose one of these products.

Check the product label before you buy health drinks for your child

Many brands provide delicious health drinks for babies. They make big claims in their TV ads and online ads. Don’t get impressed with those ads. Check the product label for the ingredients and nutrients. Go to online retail websites and check some user reviews. Thus, you will pick the finest product to boost calcium levels in your baby.

Does your baby get sufficient vitamin D?

Your child won’t absorb calcium properly if he lacks vitamin D. Deficiency in vitamin D can cause calcium deficiency in your baby. A toddler needs 600 international units of vitamin D. Sunlight is a free and abundant source of vitamin D.

Therefore, you should allow your kid to play outside and sweat a little bit. Thus, he will get sufficient vitamin D to absorb more calcium from his food.  

Conclusion

Calcium deficiency can severely affect a child’s health. It can cause permanent structural deformities if parents are not alert. Learn more about calcium deficiency symptoms and the best time to supplement calcium. Thus, you will never let the baby suffer from hypocalcaemia.  

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