[Beiwang Parent-Child Center] Symptoms of calcium deficiency in children and daily dietary adjustments
Calcium deficiency during pregnancy is detrimental to the health of both the baby and the mother. Calcium deficiency may occur even if blood calcium tests are normal. Quickly check whether you are an expectant mother who is also deficient in calcium. Scientific and reasonable calcium supplementation can help you improve your own health and give birth to your baby with more peace of mind.
Developing babies need enough calcium for strong bones, teeth, a healthy heart, nerves and muscles, as well as the development of a normal heart rhythm and the ability of blood to clot. If you don\’t get enough calcium from your diet and don\’t take calcium supplements during pregnancy, your baby will rob the calcium from your bones, which may harm your future health.
Can a simple test tell whether an expectant mother is calcium deficient?
Calcium deficiency during pregnancy can cause muscle spasms, waist and leg pain in mild cases, or bone softening in severe cases, and even become a hidden danger of osteoporosis in menopause. People with low calcium intake during pregnancy are also susceptible to pregnancy-induced hypertension. This is a common disease unique to pregnancy and harmful to both mother and baby. Eating more calcium-rich foods and supplementing with an appropriate amount of calcium are effective ways to prevent this disease.
Normal blood calcium does not mean that pregnant women are not deficient in calcium
According to nutrition experts, many expectant mothers who often experience calf cramps think they are not calcium deficient because blood test reports show normal blood calcium levels. Manifested as osteoporosis.
30% to 40% of pregnant women have reduced bone mass, mainly due to insufficient calcium content in the body. The calcification of fetal bones and teeth begins after 2 months of pregnancy and accelerates suddenly after 8 months, absorbing a large amount of calcium from the maternal blood. When there is insufficient calcium in the blood, the body absorbs and utilizes calcium stored in the bones to maintain balance. After a period of time, it will cause bone loss and even osteoporosis. Therefore, even if the blood calcium of many expectant mothers is normal, it is still impossible to conclude that the body is not deficient in calcium without measuring bone density.
Experts remind women of pregnant age that it is best to take a measurement before pregnancy to prepare for calcium supplementation. Calcium supplementation for pregnant women should not exceed 20 weeks of pregnancy at the latest, because this stage is the most vigorous period of fetal bone formation and development. In addition, some expectant mothers have difficulty absorbing and retaining calcium in the intestines. They must supplement calcium in an appropriate amount, preferably under the guidance of a doctor.
Fetal calcium deficiency can cause congenital rickets
If the fetus does not get enough calcium, it is susceptible to congenital laryngomalacia. When a newborn inhales, the congenital cartilage curls in contact with the larynx, which can easily block the entrance to the larynx and cause snoring, which is very detrimental to the health of the newborn. More importantly, fetal calcium intake is insufficient, and the fetus is also very susceptible to rickets after birth, such as osteomalacia, square skull, abnormal closure of the anterior fontanel, rib beading, pectus carinatum or infundibulum, etc.
Calcium supplementation must be scientific and avoid blind supplementation.
If pregnant women take too much calcium supplement, calcium will precipitate on the blood vessel walls of the placenta, causing the placenta to age.oxidation, calcification, decreased amniotic fluid secretion, and the baby\’s head is hard. In this way, the baby will not be able to get enough nutrients and oxygen from the mother\’s body, and the hard head will also prolong the labor process and threaten the baby\’s health.
Supplement calcium and vitamin D
Vitamin D can regulate calcium and phosphorus metabolism and promote calcium absorption. In addition to taking vitamin D, it can also be synthesized in the body through exposure to sunlight. As long as you spend more than half an hour outdoors in sunny areas every day, you can synthesize enough vitamin D. However, excessive intake can cause side effects such as loss of appetite, fatigue, arrhythmia, nausea, and vomiting.
Drinking 250 ml of fresh milk or yogurt every day can provide 250 mg of calcium. Together with the calcium provided by other foods and more exposure to the sun, it generally does not require additional calcium supplements to meet the body\’s daily calcium needs. You can eat some calcium-rich foods every day, such as dried shrimps, yuba, soybeans, green leafy vegetables, etc. At the same time, do more outdoor sports, enjoy sunbathing, and promote the body\’s absorption of calcium.