Vitamin D Overdose in Children
Vitamin D overdose in small children is not so common but it can be a serious health issue. However, there is no need to panic because it is a treatable condition. Read this article to know more on vitamin D overdose in children.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is essential for the healthy functioning of the body. It plays a major role in absorption of important minerals like calcium and phosphorus in body which in turn keep the bones and muscles healthy. Deficiency of vitamin D can lead to rickets in children that has an adverse effect on the growth and development of the child. It can lead to bone deformities. However, overdose of vitamin D is also not good for children. The condition of vitamin D overdose is termed as hypervitaminosis D.
What Causes Vitamin D Overdose in Children?
How do Children Get Vitamin D Overdose
The main cause of too much vitamin D in children is excess intake of vitamin D supplements. The requirement of vitamin D in human body is quite low. The maximum amount of vitamin D needed is produced by the body itself with the help of sunlight. Daily exposure to sunlight for 10-15 minutes is enough to produce adequate amount of vitamin D. So, the daily requirement of vitamin D from various food sources is not more than 5 micrograms or 200 IU. So, we can say that children do not need any additional vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin D commonly occur in those children who are suffering from rickets or vitamin D deficiency. It may also be found in children who do not have the ability to absorb vitamin D from the food sources due to some health disorder like kidney problem. They are given vitamin D supplements is in order to counter the effect of lack of vitamin D in their body. Depending on the condition of the patient, the exact dosage is ascertained. The maximum limit of daily dosage of vitamin D supplements recommended for children are as follows:
- Babies below the age of one: 1,000 IU
- Toddlers below 4: 2,500 IU
- Children in between 4-8 years: 3,000 IU
- Children above the age of 9: 4,000 IU
If the dosage of vitamin D is increased beyond this limit without consulting the doctor, then children can have vitamin D overdose. Similarly, if the recommended dosage is continued for several months without monitoring the level of vitamin D in the body, then it can lead to overdose. In other words, one single overdose of vitamin D supplement does not cause vitamin D toxicity. Rather, it develops over a period of time. As this vitamin is not soluble in water, the body cannot excrete out the excess amount of vitamin. The extra vitamin D get stored up inside the fat cells and reaches up to the toxic levels.
How to Recognize Vitamin D Overdose Symptoms
How to Recognize Vitamin D Overdose in Children
Excess of vitamin D in a child’s body can have an adverse effect on the digestive health and weaken the overall health. A few identifiable signs and symptoms of vitamin overdose are given below:
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness in muscles
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Nervousness
If the treatment for vitamin D toxicity in children do not start on time then it can start affecting the functioning of the vital organs of the body like heart, lungs and kidneys. As a result, children may develop heart disease, lung problems and renal failure.
How Is Vitamin D Overdose Treated?
How to Treat Vitamin D Overdose When children are taking vitamin D supplements and show up one or more of the vitamin D overdose symptoms
mentioned in the previous section, then they should be taken to the doctor. The condition is diagnosed with the help of blood test and urine test. The vitamin D supplement is stopped immediately. Even the calcium intake of the child is minimized. Doctors often recommend a low calcium diet in this condition which should be continued for several weeks. If the level of vitamin D is too high corticosteroids may have to be administered to reduce it. In serious cases, when there are signs of dehydration observed, patients are hospitalized and intravenous fluid is administered.
Does Sunlight Cause Vitamin D Overdose?
Finally, I would like to clear one thing that over exposure to direct sunlight also does not cause vitamin D overdose in children. This is because when the body prepares its own vitamin D from sunlight, its production stops naturally once the body has enough vitamin D. On the other hand, when vitamin D enters the body from a supplemental source, the body cannot stop absorption of the vitamin.
