Blindly "tonic" children

　　Maybe it’s not just paying IQ tax

　　Our reporter Chen Xi

　　Pediatric "Department"

　　The "Double Eleven" shopping festival is approaching. When major e-commerce platform websites are opened, various children's nutritional supplements are dazzling, including calcium supplements, zinc supplements, iron supplements...Under the strong offensive of merchants, Some parents fall into the "anxiety" of nutritional supplements and look for the health problems of their children according to the slogans of health care products.

　　However, can these children's nutritional supplements really "tonify" children, or are they an IQ tax?

　　In response to the above problems, a reporter from Science and Technology Daily interviewed Zhao Yu, chief physician of the Gastroenterology Department of Tianjin Children's Hospital.

　　Infants and young children must remember to supplement vitamin D

　　"The nutrients needed by the human body can be divided into 7 categories, namely protein, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, dietary fiber, vitamins and water." Zhao Yu introduced that the nutritional supplements sold on the market for children are mainly vitamins and minerals. There are two major categories of substances.

The more common vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin D are vitamins, while calcium, zinc, and magnesium are minerals.

　　Faced with such a huge "alphabet" of vitamins and "periodic table" of minerals, most parents are probably a little confused.

　　“Vitamin D is the first nutritional supplement that infants and young children come into contact with. They need to supplement 400 to 600 units of activated vitamin D every day for 2 to 3 weeks after they are born, and they can eat until they are 2 to 3 years old. D, can effectively prevent infants and young children from suffering from vitamin D deficiency rickets." Zhao Yu explained that vitamin D is closely related to the body's absorption and metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals. Infants and young children grow faster, and have bones, teeth, and height. Development is inseparable from calcium, so the demand for vitamin D is relatively large.

　　Vitamin D is mainly derived from the ultraviolet rays in the sun irradiating the skin (90% of the source in the human body), but it is difficult for babies to get enough vitamin D through the sun.

The vitamin D intake of infants and young children from human milk is relatively limited, about 200 units per day, and the content of vitamin D in cow's milk is even lower.

In addition, infectious diseases, chronic gastrointestinal diseases, hepatobiliary system diseases, etc. that infants and young children are susceptible to will also affect the absorption of vitamin D, so additional supplements are required.

　　"Some infants and young children can properly supplement some calcium while supplementing vitamin D. Due to dietary habits and other reasons, some infants and young children may not have enough calcium intake." Zhao Yu introduced that the calcium content of human milk is relatively low. The calcium content per 100 ml is generally around 34 mg.

Cow milk contains relatively high calcium content, with more than 110 mg of calcium per 100 ml.

Infants need to take in 500 to 600 mg of calcium per day, and children over 3 years of age need to take in 1,000 mg of calcium per day.

Children with a normal diet can basically reach the target level of calcium intake. For children with a small appetite, supplement a small amount of calcium every day.

　　In addition, vitamin D is now supplemented with vitamin A, which is our common vitamin AD drops.

"Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is an important component of light-sensitive substances in visual cells. It is clinically used to treat night blindness." Zhao Yu said that there is no need for myth vitamin A. If there are no symptoms of disease, there is no need to supplement it separately. Vitamin A and vitamin AD can be supplemented at the same time.

　　These supplements are not necessary for children

　　"At present, most children's nutritional supplements on the market can be supplemented or not, and infants and young children do not need to be supplemented specifically." Zhao Yu gave an example, such as the more common iron supplements.

At the age of 2 to 6 months, some babies will develop physiological anemia, at which time their hemoglobin will be reduced, but this physiological anemia will gradually mature and improve as the child grows older and hematopoietic function gradually matures.

Generally speaking, for children under 6 years old, if the hemoglobin content exceeds 100 grams per liter, there is no need for additional iron supplements.

　　Iron can be obtained from the daily diet. Human milk contains about 0.5 mg of iron per 100 grams. The iron content of formula milk is about 10 times that of human milk. Iron is also rich in other foods. Therefore, for children with a normal diet It is completely sufficient, no additional supplements are needed.

　　In addition to iron, parents also love to supplement their children with zinc.

In this regard, Zhao Yu said that zinc is beneficial to protect children's vision, improve taste, and protect the gastrointestinal mucosa.

　　For children under 1 year old, 10 grams of zinc per day can meet the body's needs. Human milk and formula milk can provide sufficient zinc.

For children who can already eat, nuts, oils, and seafood are rich in zinc.

"Except in a disease state, such as a child's appetite loss, or a certain gastrointestinal disease, special zinc supplementation is needed." Zhao Yu said. There are also studies that show that even when babies have diarrhea, they are in areas where there is no zinc deficiency. There is no need to supplement zinc.

　　"In addition, the effect of oral supplementation of magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin K is very poor, and it is difficult to be absorbed by the digestive tract. Clinically, these elements are supplemented by intravenous or intramuscular injection." Zhao Yu emphasized.

　　In addition, there are also parents who like to give their children multidimensional gummies containing vitamin B, vitamin C and other water-soluble vitamins.

"The content of these water-soluble vitamins in human milk, formula milk and milk is not low. Foods such as fruits, whole grains, and cereals are also rich in vitamin B and vitamin C. As long as the children’s diet is relatively comprehensive, there is no serious partiality or picky eaters. , The general body will not lack these things." Zhao Yu said.

　　"At present, it is popular abroad to supplement children with some trace elements such as manganese and tin to improve their immunity." Zhao Yu introduced that children's immunity depends on breast milk before 6 months of age, and on their own "barriers" after 6 months of age. "There is no need for exogenous supplements, so strictly speaking, supplementing these trace elements is of little significance to improving immunity.

　　Do you need to see symptoms and listen to doctor's advice

　　The harm of blindly giving children "nutrition" is far more than simply paying an IQ tax.

"Among the above nutrients, water-soluble vitamins are small molecules, which are easily excreted in body fluids without excessive intake; while vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, fat-soluble vitamins and various mineral elements, they It is difficult to be excreted from the body, and overdose over time can easily lead to poisoning and have side effects on children’s bodies.” Zhao Yu emphasized.

　　As for whether children should supplement and which nutrients should be supplemented, Zhao Yu suggested that parents should refer this question to the doctor.

"Clinically judging whether'tonic' is needed is based on symptoms and diseases. For example, for children with hypophosphatemia and hypomagnesemia who have malabsorption of phosphorus and magnesium due to diseases, the doctor will provide the children with the amount according to their physiological needs. To add."

　　Zhao Yu said that there is no need to be so anxious about some parents who give their children the symptoms mentioned in the slogan of children's nutritional supplements.

For example, he said that when some babies' deciduous teeth erupt late, parents feel that their children lack calcium.

In fact, there are many reasons for late eruption of deciduous teeth, such as mandibular development problems.

　　In addition, parents shouldn’t be “involved” in nutritional supplements. When they see other people’s children are supplementing, they must also provide supplements for their children.

"Each child's physical development is very different. Even if it is really lacking, it needs to be supplemented under the guidance of a professional doctor." Zhao Yu said.

　　Zhao Yu said that at present, for the vast majority of children in China, the biggest problem is not lack of nutrients, but excess nutrients.

Too much nutrition in children will turn nutrition into fat, leading to excess weight, which in turn leads to a series of health problems.

Excessive intake of nutrients can also make children enter puberty early and affect height development.

　　"What parents really need to pay attention to is to ensure that the children's diet is diversified and balanced. For healthy children, the nutrients they consume from their daily diet can guarantee the body's needs." Zhao Yu finally emphasized.