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Researchers have identified six cases of severe vitamin D deficiency, or rickets, and three cases of other nutritional deficiencies in Georgia infants.
Growing children require vitamin D for proper bone development.
According to the CDC toddlers with rickets may experience:
- a delay in learning to walk
- low height-for-age
- curvature of the spine
- bowing of the legs and arms
Human breast milk contains minimal vitamin D. While cheese and other dairy products are an important source of nutrition for some, they don't contain vitamin D, and many parents are unaware of that. Milk and adult breakfast cereals have some vitamin D, but the primary source for toddlers is vitamin D-fortified milk.
Sunlight is another source because it helps the body make its own supply of the vitamin. For most breast-fed infants, CDC researchers note, the combination of breast milk and sunlight exposure provides enough vitamin D. But they also point out that factors such as skin complexion, use of sunscreen and risk of skin cancer make it difficult to determine how much sunlight is needed.
Parents should realize that rice beverages are not an appropriate milk alternative for toddlers because the protein content is inadequate and it is full of carbohydrate that makes it very similar to soda or juice.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report March 30, 2001; 50: 224-226
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