I, as well as many other people, are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is imperative in so many ways, and lacking it can contribute to so many different health issues. Here's more from a reader on the importance of vitamin D, especially when it comes to young children.
The Importance of Vitamin D
Part of the reason that vitamin D is so important for children is because it is so important for nervous system health and brain development. The brain is made up of highly specialized cells called neurons. The brains of infants and toddlers are still developing, meaning the neurons are still forming. Vitamin D has a vital role to play in the development of neurons because it regulates the release of an essential molecule called nerve growth factor. Without this molecule, neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is the outermost layer of the brain, and the hippocampus region might not survive.
Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency in either the mother or the baby can cause disabilities in the latter. Vitamin D deficiency in early life may cause problems with memory and learning as the child grows. Grooming behaviors were also affected. Later in life, vitamin D deficiency is also associated with psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and depression, as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Supplements such as Wellements vitamin drops may help babies obtain the vitamin D that they need for brain development. You can give the vitamin drops to the baby directly or, if you are breastfeeding, take them yourself. That way, you avoid any vitamin D deficiency, and your baby receives it through breast milk.
How Vitamin D Can Enhance Your Child's Overall Health
Many multivitamins such as Wellements vitamins include Vitamin D which is important for your child's brain development and nervous system, but it also offers other health benefits. One of the primary benefits of vitamin D is bone health. Vitamin D helps the body to regulate and absorb calcium, a vital nutrient for building strong bones. Since bones are growing all throughout childhood, it is vital that children receive sufficient quantities of both calcium and vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, a condition in which the bones become soft and pliable instead of strong and rigid. This can cause the limbs to become abnormally bowed. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause the bones to become brittle and prone to break more easily.
Vitamin D also helps to support immune health, protecting children against infectious diseases. Deficiency of the vitamin may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, lung conditions, or diabetes. Type I diabetes primarily affects children. It is characterized by an inability of the pancreas to make insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. A person with type I diabetes is dependent on insulin injections for the rest of his or her life. Type II diabetes was once classified as adult-onset, yet it has also been diagnosed in children who are overweight. Research is ongoing to determine what role vitamin D might play in diabetes prevention for children.
Part of the reason that vitamin D is so important for children is because it is so important for nervous system health and brain development. The brain is made up of highly specialized cells called neurons. The brains of infants and toddlers are still developing, meaning the neurons are still forming. Vitamin D has a vital role to play in the development of neurons because it regulates the release of an essential molecule called nerve growth factor. Without this molecule, neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is the outermost layer of the brain, and the hippocampus region might not survive.
Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency in either the mother or the baby can cause disabilities in the latter. Vitamin D deficiency in early life may cause problems with memory and learning as the child grows. Grooming behaviors were also affected. Later in life, vitamin D deficiency is also associated with psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and depression, as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Supplements such as Wellements vitamin drops may help babies obtain the vitamin D that they need for brain development. You can give the vitamin drops to the baby directly or, if you are breastfeeding, take them yourself. That way, you avoid any vitamin D deficiency, and your baby receives it through breast milk.
How Vitamin D Can Enhance Your Child's Overall Health
Many multivitamins such as Wellements vitamins include Vitamin D which is important for your child's brain development and nervous system, but it also offers other health benefits. One of the primary benefits of vitamin D is bone health. Vitamin D helps the body to regulate and absorb calcium, a vital nutrient for building strong bones. Since bones are growing all throughout childhood, it is vital that children receive sufficient quantities of both calcium and vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, a condition in which the bones become soft and pliable instead of strong and rigid. This can cause the limbs to become abnormally bowed. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause the bones to become brittle and prone to break more easily.
Vitamin D also helps to support immune health, protecting children against infectious diseases. Deficiency of the vitamin may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, lung conditions, or diabetes. Type I diabetes primarily affects children. It is characterized by an inability of the pancreas to make insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. A person with type I diabetes is dependent on insulin injections for the rest of his or her life. Type II diabetes was once classified as adult-onset, yet it has also been diagnosed in children who are overweight. Research is ongoing to determine what role vitamin D might play in diabetes prevention for children.
Knowing You Are Making The Right Choice
There are plenty of sources that include vitamin D along with other essential nutrients that can help your child’s health. Ask your doctor before making the right choice for your baby.
There are plenty of sources that include vitamin D along with other essential nutrients that can help your child’s health. Ask your doctor before making the right choice for your baby.