Three new cases of vitamin D overdose in infants have been reported by the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Anses). What are the consequences of an excess of this vitamin in toddlers?
Serious consequences for their health
Watch out for excess vitamin D in infants. The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has once once more sounded the alarm once morest the risks of excess of this vitamin in babies. The alert was launched following the discovery of three new cases of overdose. “An excess of vitamin D can have serious consequences on their health and threaten the vital prognosis of toddlers.”, wrote the agency in an article published on its site. To limit the risks, the agency reiterates its recommendations for supplementing infants with vitamin D, reports TF1.
Three new reports of severe hypercalcemia
Considered essential in children, vitamin D contributes to bone growth. It is prescribed in France from the first days of life to prevent rickets, a disease of growth and ossification. But “Giving your child too much vitamin D can be as dangerous as not giving enough”, warns ANSES. The agency claims to have recently identified “three new reports of severe hypercalcemia – excess calcium in the blood – occurring in infants in 2022”. These cases are the result of misuse “food supplements containing vitamin D”.
Some recommendations
To limit the dangers for children, ANSES recommends taking medication rather than food supplements. The goal is indeed to obtain clear information in terms of doses, precautions for use, risk of adverse effects and overdose and thus avoid excesses. Among the other recommendations of the agency is the control of the doses given to your child while avoiding multiplying the products containing vitamin D. In any case, the vitamin D prescription must always come from a health professional.
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