Supplements and cow's milk play biggest roles in determining
vitamin D levels in children Taking a vitamin D supplement and
drinking cow's milk are the two most important factors that
determine how much vitamin D is in a child's body, new research
has found. Those factors play a bigger role than even skin
colour and exposure to the sun, according to Dr. Jonathon
Maguire, a researcher and pediatrician at St. Michael's
Hospital. "Early childhood is a critical stage in human
development, so achieving and maintaining optimal vitamin D
levels in early childhood may be important to health outcomes in
later childhood and adulthood," Dr. Maguire said. His research
was published today in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine. Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for a number of
illnesses, including asthma and allergies in children. Severe
deficiency can cause rickets, a softening of bones. Yet dietary
records of Canadian infants show that at 12 months they are
receiving only 11 per cent of their recommen