Vitamin C for children: why it is needed and what is the right dosage from pregnancy to adolescence
Routing children to proper nutrition is essential for optimal growth. Vitamin C must always be present in a well balanced diet: it is contained in fruits and vegetables, but also in some foods for breakfast. It can also be taken as a supplement, making sure it is suitable for a child. In the video below you can find some ideas for healthy snacks, watch it and then read on!
Vitamin C: what it is and where it is found
Who has never been forced as a child to drink a glass of orange juice? We suppose very few because this citrus fruit is one of the main foods of childhood, thanks to the high concentration of the precious vitamin C.
It is a water-soluble vitamin that is accumulated in the liver and serves the body to synthesize a particular molecule, collagen, which is located in the skin, bones, and joints.
The scientific term of vitamin C is ascorbic acid and its intake must be favored through nutrition as it is not naturally produced by the human being. As an alternative to diet it is possible to buy one of the many natural supplements on the market, as long as are prescribed by the pediatrician or are specifically designed for children.
Vitamin C has exceptional antioxidant properties, which means it helps both prevent cell aging and contribute to faster wound healing.
What are the foods in which vitamin C is found? Mainly fruit (especially citrus fruits) and vegetables: berries, kiwi, spinach, broccoli, melons, peppers, tomatoes ... Furthermore, there is a good presence of this vitamin also in some breakfast foods, such as cereals , which children often go crazy for.
Why taking vitamin C is important for children
Vitamin C is good for our health on a general level, and this affects not only children, but also us adults. There are also specific benefits that this vitamin brings to our body, especially in developmental age, obviously if the doses taken are correct.
The main advantages of integrating vitamin C in a child's diet are therefore:
- Improvement of the circulatory system, as it helps form and repair red blood cells and strengthen blood vessels. Consequently, vitamin C also minimizes bleeding from falls, bruises and nosebleeds.
- Support for bones and tissues.
- Help for the well-being of the baby's gums.
- Cuts and wounds heal faster.
- Contribution to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Strengthened immune system.
- Support to better absorb iron from food.
According to some recent research, the extraordinary antioxidant properties of vitamin C even seem to be able to prevent or delay the development of certain types of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Given all these fantastic qualities it is really necessary to make the right amount of this vitamin in a child's meal plan. Below you can find the right dosages depending on the age, starting from the gestation period.
How Much Vitamin C Does a Baby Need? All the right dosages
Expectant mothers must carefully calibrate the foods they eat, for their health and that of the fetus: a well-balanced diet is the best strategy to ensure the correct intake of vitamins and minerals, nutrients necessary for the well-being of both.
Vitamin C must therefore be part of the diet of a pregnant mother, and continue even after the arrival of the unborn child.
During this special period, the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C should be around 100 milligrams. In particular, during the 9 months of gestation the most suitable amount is 85 milligrams while in breastfeeding it must be increased to 120 milligrams (consider that an adult individual should ingest 75-95 milligrams). Breastfeeding infants do not need additional sources of vitamin C beyond what they get from milk, while for all older children there are many viable options for getting the right doses.
For children over 1 year of life, here is a useful mirror concerning the daily doses of vitamin C:
- Age from 1 to 3 years: 15 milligrams (mg) - 35mg;
- Age from 4 to 8 years: 25 mg - 45 mg;
- Age 9 to 14 years: 45mg - 60mg.
Since children are normally reluctant to eat abundant fruit and vegetables, and given the vital importance of having vitamin C taken in a child, to avoid vitamin C deficiencies it is possible to switch to administration with specific supplements. The pediatrician will advise you on how to orient yourself, but those natural drugs in drops are particularly useful with small children, for the ease with which you can customize the dosage. Normally the daily intake of these drops is as follows, but always wait for the doctor's prescription:
- 6 drops, for infants 0-1 year;
- 7 drops, for children 1-3 years;
- 8 drops, for children 4-6 years;
- 11 drops, for children 7-10 years old;
- 17 drops, for teenagers 11-17 years old.
How to tell if you have a vitamin C deficiency
Vitamin C deficiency is not widespread in the West but there are still worrying cases in pediatric age. Basically it is due to a low intake with dietary intake and occurs above all in developing countries or in any case in those areas where people live in conditions of poverty.
Some intestinal diseases favor the lack of vitamin C because they limit its absorption: it is the case of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Even smoking, yes even passive one, can lead to the same problem.
Deficiency of this substance causes the following symptoms: fatigue, muscle and joint pain, bruising, anemia, bleeding gums, weak hair and difficulty in healing wounds.
In the most serious cases, a condition called scurvy occurs, which is however very rare in industrialized countries.
To provide for this decompensation, the necessary quantities will be required according to the age group of the child: where possible, a change in diet will be sufficient, otherwise one opts for pediatric vitamin C supplements.
Vitamin C for children and colds
Children are often prone to seasonal ailments such as colds.
A few decades ago it was hypothesized that vitamin C was extremely useful in fighting the annoyances of nasal congestion; however, this statement has been reduced, because objectively it does not help prevent colds in general. The latest analyzes state that:
- Vitamin C supplementation can actually reduce the frequency of cold episodes, but only in populations exposed to very severe cold, in subjects who practice extreme sports and in subjects at risk of vitamin C deficiency (such as smokers);
- if taken for preventive purposes, it may be able to minimize the duration of the cold;
- when supplemented after the onset of cold symptoms, it is of no benefit.
+ Show Sources - Hide Sources Read more about vitamin C on the website of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome. <
