Question
Do children need calcium supplements? Do they need medical treatment? How long until improvement is seen after treatment?
Answer
Calcium supplementation is not a routine requirement for children. It is only considered when calcium levels are low, and then supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is given. If infants have started to introduce complementary foods at the appropriate time between 4 and 6 months old, and their daily diet is balanced, the calcium from their food usually meets their growth needs. Most often, infants begin routine vitamin D supplementation two weeks after birth, and supplementation can be temporarily suspended if they engage in more than two hours of outdoor activity during the summer. If symptoms of calcium deficiency such as excessive sweating, pigeon chest, pillow baldness, and night terrors occur, blood calcium or alkaline phosphatase tests should be combined to determine if supplementation is needed, and appropriate calcium supplementation should be carried out based on the monitoring results.