This article is from page 6 of the 2011-03-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
CLARE parents of all babies, from birth to 12 months, are being advised this week to give infants a daily vitamin D supplement to protect their growing bones.
This advice from the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Department of Health and Children is for both breastfed and formula fed children and should be given 5 micrograms of Vitamin D daily.
The health organisations have said that Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is essential for healthy bones, but is present in very few foods.
Ireland’s northerly latitude and lack of winter sunlight means that Irish people can no longer make enough vitamin D in this way, according to the groups, so they are advising that it is added to infants food intake instead.
Severe and prolonged vitamin D deficiency can cause softening of the bones or bone deformities, known as rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults.
Less severe vitamin D deficiency also affects bone health, may increase the risk of osteoporosis, and some studies have also linked it to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.
“Babies need a daily supplement of vitamin D because their delicate skin cannot be safely exposed to the sun, and because their feeds or diet alone do not provide enough of this important vitamin to ensure healthy bone growth,” a HSE spokesperson said.
Rickets in children was known as a problem in Ireland up to the mid20th century, but due to better nutrition in our population over recent decades, it was thought to have been eradicated.
However, a number of cases of rickets have been seen in the country in recent years.
According to Dr Mary Flynn, Chief Specialist in Public Health Nutrition, FSAI, “the cases of rickets that we have seen are likely to be the tip of the iceberg, and indicate that there is a wider, undetected level of vitamin D deficiency in our population. There is growing evidence that this can increase the risk of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or diabetes.”