Question
At what age can babies start taking calcium supplements? My son is 5 months old and has a bit of calcium deficiency. Do I need to supplement calcium? If so, which type should I give him?
Answer
Babies should start introducing solid foods at around 4 months old, and vitamin D should be supplemented at the same time, with a daily recommended dose of 400 to 800 international units. Current recommendations suggest that full-term infants should begin vitamin D supplementation within 10 days of birth, with the same dosage. This is because although breast milk or formula milk in a baby’s normal diet contains adequate calcium, vitamin D is often insufficient, and a lack of vitamin D can affect calcium absorption. Calcium deficiency is generally not an issue as long as there is no vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, supplementing vitamin D during infancy is a routine practice and usually does not require additional calcium supplementation unless there are symptoms of hypocalcemia or reliable evidence of calcium deficiency.