Your child’s first birthday is an important milestone in their development. Your little one will start to actively explore the world around them. But even if your child already has a big appetite, they are still a toddler and not a small adult. This is why an age-appropriate diet is very important until your child has reached primary school age. For healthy bone formation, your little one needs 7 times more vitamin D than you.
Why does your child need 7 times more vitamin D?
Source: EFSA; 80 kg men, 12 kg boys
Calcium and vitamin D are important as they make bones stronger.
Calcium is an important building block for bones. Vitamin D is essential for normal development of bones and teeth and for boosting the immune system, which is not yet fully developed until the third year of life. In addition to vitamin D, vitamins A and C also help to support the immune system.
Even though our body can generate vitamin D on its own, exposure to sunlight is one way to help increase vitamin D levels. This is not always possible, however, especially during the winter months, which is why other sources of vitamin D are important. There are only a few foods that can supply our body with sufficient amounts of this essential vitamin. In theory, without exposure to sunlight kids would have to eat 10-12 eggs, 1 kg of button mushrooms, 1.5 kg of cheese and more than 125 g of salmon.
What helps develop strong bones?
Eating and drinking foods that contain vitamin D and calcium: e.g. spinach or broccoli for calcium or fatty fish for vitamin D.
Exercising and building muscle: e.g. through children’s gymnastics. In addition to the right nutrition, exercise and muscle strength are also important building blocks for healthy bones.
Playing outside: e.g. outdoor games, such as tag, hopscotch or ball games. Playing outside in the sun and fresh air is not just fun for the little ones; it also promotes healthy bones. Whenever your child plays outside, make sure you take steps to protect their skin from the sun.
A recent study also demonstrated the effect of the different seasons of the year. It showed that sufficient levels of vitamin D in children were only reached during summer, as more than 90% of this vitamin is produced in the skin and only 5-10% absorbed from food.
HiPP JUNIOR COMBIOTIC® can, however, remedy this. A 2013 study by Hower et al. found that the drop in toddlers’ vitamin D levels during winter could be prevented with HiPP JUNIOR COMBIOTIC®. What's more, it was even possible to increase vitamin D levels.
