Dr. Shilpee's Top tips:

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is very important for toddlers as it’s needed for the growth of healthy bones and teeth. vitamin D deficiency is a very common problem and more than half of the UK population has insufficient levels of vitamin D. Deficiency of vitamin D in children can cause rickets where the bones become soft and misshapen (e.g. bowed legs).

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which is important as it means the body can store it for future use. There are only a few dietary sources of vitamin:

1. Oily fish (such as sardines, pilchards, herring, trout, tuna, salmon and mackerel).

2. Liver.

3. Egg yolk.

4. Small amounts are found in cheese, milk and butter.

5. Fortified foods (this means they have vitamin D added to them) such as margarine, some cereals, and infant formula milk.

90% of the vitamin D we make is made by our own bodies in the skin, with the help of sunlight. Dark skinned children and under-5s of Asian origin are more likely to have a lower vitamin D status, which may be due to factors including; diet, limited exposure to the sun and wearing more clothing when outside.

After the age of 3 children can maintain a good vitamin D status from sunlight if they spend sufficient time outside from April to September. It’s recommended that children between 7 months to 3 years get 7 micrograms of vitamin D a day. The Department of Health recommends that children take vitamin drops containing vitamin A, C and D.

If you have time check out our main nutrition area on the website.