Children with sparse hair, insomnia, and picky eating may be lacking in calcium. So what are the specific symptoms of calcium deficiency in children? What foods can help children supplement calcium?
Symptoms of calcium deficiency in children
1. Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty entering deep sleep, crying and easy waking up after falling asleep, excessive sweating after falling asleep.
2. Intermittent abdominal pain, diarrhea, muscle cramps, sternum pain, "X" legs, "O" legs, pigeon chest, white nails or white marks on nails.
3. Loss of appetite, picky eating.
4. Restlessness during the day, delayed intellectual development, late speech development, late walking.
5. Late teething, irregular and loose teeth, teeth appearing pointed or serrated.
6. Sparse hair, poor health, prone to colds, etc.
Dangers of calcium deficiency in children
1. Restlessness, frequent crying for no apparent reason, difficulty falling asleep, and easy waking up even if asleep.
2. Excessive sweating, even when the weather is not hot.
3. Yellow and sparse hair, hair loss in the back of the head.
4. Late teething compared to peers.
5. Delayed closure of fontanelles, muscle weakness.
6. Dull expression, lack of facial expressions, delayed motor skills and speech compared to children of the same age.
7. Prolonged calcium deficiency can lead to delayed growth and even deformities. Parents need to pay more attention to babies with these characteristics.
High forehead, forming a square skull. Rib beading is often present, with the cartilage growth of each rib connecting like beads, often compressing the lungs, causing poor ventilation and susceptibility to bronchitis and pneumonia.
8. Loss of appetite, picky eating is also related to calcium deficiency. Insufficient calcium intake can lead to loss of appetite, low intelligence, and weakened immune function.
9. Eczema is also related to calcium deficiency, commonly seen on the scalp, face, and behind the ears, accompanied by restlessness, sweating on the back of the head and back.
Foods that can be eaten to supplement calcium
1. Chocolate and Strawberry Milk
Milk is rich in calcium and should be consumed by children. There are many types of milk, such as whole milk, yogurt, reconstituted milk, buffalo milk, etc.
Whole milk and yogurt are commonly consumed by children, but they may get tired of drinking them if consumed in excessive amounts. In this case, mothers can buy flavored milk for their children to drink.
2. Cheese
Cheese is rich in calcium and is a fermented milk product, also known as "milk tofu".
Cheese is divided into fresh cheese, white mold cheese, blue cheese, washed rind cheese, etc.
Some cheeses are low in fat, which mothers can buy for their children. This way, they can supplement calcium and control their fat intake.
3. Green Vegetables
Green vegetables are a type of green food, including green peppers, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, yams, carrots, taro, cucumbers, etc., which are rich in vitamins.
In addition to consuming foods high in calcium in their daily lives, children with calcium deficiency should also supplement vitamins appropriately to promote calcium absorption.
4. Legumes
There are many varieties of legumes, and they are very high in calcium, which can be eaten more by children with calcium deficiency.
For example, mung beans, peas, and adzuki beans. If the child is young and cannot eat large beans, mothers can cook them into porridge for their children.
5. Seafood
Fresh seafood includes bass, salmon, soft-shelled turtle, eel, large lobster, grass shrimp, bamboo shrimp, river shrimp, king crab, paste crab, etc., which are rich in calcium.
