Posted October 26, 2010
Cologne, Germany (dpa) – Even in the autumn months children should spend time each day in the open air to keep up their reserves of vitamin D.
“Regular, measured exposure to sunlight is an important source of vitamin D for the body,” explains Ulrich Fegeler of Germany’s Association of Paediatricians and Youth Medicine.
Just 15 to 20 minutes a day is sufficient and only the face, hands and lower arms – without sun cream – need be exposed to the sun’s rays.
“Children and youths who rarely venture outside are at risk of suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, especially in winter,” warns Fegeler.
Severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to decalcification of the bones and growth defects caused by rickets.
According to the Robert Koch Institute – Germany’s central federal institution responsible for disease control and prevention – longterm vitamin D deficiency causes muscular problems, heart and circulation issues and weaknesses in the body’s immune system.
Around 80 per cent of a body’s vitamin D requirements are produced through the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources, although it also occurs naturally in a small range of foodstuffs.
An appropriate diet as well as exposure to daylight is important. “Mushrooms and avocados as well as fish such as salmon and mackerel contain a lot of vitamin D,” explains Fegeler.
The recommended intake for children over one-year-old is five micrograms of calciferole (vitamin D). This amount can be achieved through eating a 150-gram portion of fish per week, 250g of mushrooms per day or 30g of salmon.
Editor’s note: In the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IU/day for children beginning in the first few days of life.