Prescribed from birth to prevent rickets, vitamin D is essential for bone growth in infants. However, its administration requires great vigilance on the part of parents because of the risk of overdose. Far from being trivial, an excess of vitamin D can indeed have serious consequences on the health of the child. This is the meaning of the new alert from ANSES, which urges parents to respect the recommended doses.
Vitamin D: essential for the growth of babies
Prescribed from birth to prevent rickets, vitamin D is essential for child development. If it ensures the proper functioning of the muscles, it plays an essential role in children in the growth of their bones and teeth. This shows how important a sufficient intake of vitamin D is!
But our modern, urban lifestyles often create vitamin D deficiencies, particularly in fall and winter when low sunlight is not enough to meet all of our needs. To avoid any risk of deficiency in the baby, vitamin D supplementation is carried out systematically from birth, regardless of the mode of feeding (breast milk or infant milk).
To know ! The recommended doses of vitamin D between 0 and 18 years of age range between 400 and 800 IU per day for a child in good health and without risk factors. In infants, the daily administration of vitamin D is usually in the form of drops. Older children are offered ampoules to be taken more spaced out depending on the dosage.
Overdose: a very real risk
However, the administration of vitamin D requires great vigilance on the part of the parents because of the risk of overdose.. Far from being trivial, an excess of vitamin D can indeed have serious repercussions on the health of the child or even threaten his vital prognosis.
To know ! Excessive vitamin D intake can lead to excessive calcium levels in the blood, causing severe hypercalcemia. This manifestation can be accompanied by kidney damage (lithiasis or nephrocalcinosis) requiring hospitalization in some cases.
As part of its nutrivigilance system, ANSES recently recorded three new reports of vitamin D overdose in infants. The babies suffered from severe hypercalcaemia (excess calcium in the blood) following misuse of food supplements containing vitamin D.
To know ! It is considered that there is an overdose beyond twice the recommended dose.
Administration of vitamin D: some tips to follow
Given the severity of the adverse effects reported and with the aim of minimizing the risk of overdose, ANSES renews its alert launched in early 2021 following the reporting of three other similar cases. Emphasis is placed once once more on the importance of:
- Ensure that vitamin D intake is only on prescription from a healthcare professional.
- Prioritize taking medication over dietary supplements. Medicines guarantee manufacturing safety and clear information in terms of doses, precautions for use and risk of adverse effects. It is therefore advisable to avoid giving your child vitamin D in the form of an over-the-counter food supplement.
- Check the doses given to your child carefully every day.
- Do not multiply the intake of products containing vitamin D to avoid overdoses which might affect kidney function.
Finally, it will be necessary to be extremely vigilant when buying products in non-traditional channels (such as online stores for example) and in the absence of individualized advice from a health professional.
Published on September 27, 2021 by MORGANE G. Updated by DÉBORAH L., Doctor of Pharmacy, on April 4, 2023.
Sources
– Vitamin D: chronic poisoning of infants due to misuse of food supplements. vigilanses.anses.fr. Accessed March 29, 2023.
