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Diet, exercise, and proper nutrition parents take care of everything but often one thing that is overlooked by most of them is bone health. We don’t hear the term ‘bone health’ that often!

A recent study shows many children in India are experiencing a deficiency in vitamin D that can lead to the impaired acquisition of bone mass, and it also shows that nearly 30% of children are getting their bones fractured before reaching adulthood. So it becomes very important to take care right from the very childhood.

Here are a few points why bone health is important and what measures you can take to protect your child’s bone:

Why childhood is such an important time for bone development?

Bones are the main component for the growth and structure of the body, it is living tissue that keeps changing with bits of old ones being replaced with new ones. During childhood and in puberty much more bone is deposited than withdrawn. So we much a healthy diet which can complete the requirements of the body.

“Building your children's “bone bank” account is a lot like saving for their education: The more they can put away when they're young, the longer it should last as they get older".

You can adopt some simple lifestyle measures to maintain your child’s bone health, read them below:

• Include calcium in your child’s diet:

  You must include sources that are rich in calcium like dairy products, almonds, broccoli, and soy products. As per the recommendations of a pediatrician and orthopedist, a toddler must have 600-700 mg of calcium a day. The recommendation increases to 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day in case of an adult

• Vitamin D

  Your health visitor, an orthopedist can advise you on vitamin D supplements for your child. Good sources of Vitamin D include fish, mushrooms, eggs, milk, and cereals all of these are rich in vitamin D. Sunlight also contributes to the body’s production of vitamin D, but never expose your babies direct to sunlight as delicate skin can get sunburned.

• Bone- strengthening Exercises for children

  • Babies who are not walking yet:

    They must be encouraged to play actively on the floor. Take them to parks and let them indulge in some physical activities.

  • Children who can walk on their own:

    They should be physically active for at least 180 minutes throughout the day. Ask your health expert about more physical activities.

  • Children aged 5 to 18:

    They just need to perform 60 minutes of physical activity daily. It will help them in lessening fatigue and boost their stamina.

• Eating Disorders and bone Health:

  Eating disorders affect all people despite their age group. You need to maintain a healthy diet in order to maintain your weight epically girls during their teenage years, as their bones are still growing and strengthening as eating disorders can affect their growth. So it is very important to keep your diet healthy during the teenage year.

You can always consult your doctor for information regarding bone health or you can ask Dr. Sumit for the best advice.