Vitamin A for children

Vitamins - an important component for the full functioning of organs and body systems. One of them - fat-soluble vitamin A, which for the body of children and adults is vital. Strictly speaking, this is not an individual vitamin, but a group that has been called carotenoids, since for the first time the substance was extracted from carrot. These vitamins still in the womb provide the fetus the formation of teeth, bones, fat deposits and epithelium. Thanks to vitamin A, new cells grow, and the aging process slows down. In addition, carotenoids provide the work of the organs of vision, the production of hormones, maintain the level of use of insulin.

Signs of Vitamin A deficiency

The lack of vitamin A in children is easy to determine. The first to respond to his lack of response to the eyes. So, the child complains of visual impairment, increased tearing, congestion in the corners of mucus, on the "sand" in the eyes, his eyelids can blush. Teeth react to the lack of carotenoids by increased sensitivity of the enamel, and the skin - to peeling. Children, whose body lacks vitamin A, are often taken up by respiratory infections, catch colds and suffer from anemia .

To get rid of the child from these misfortunes it is possible and in house conditions, having corrected its ration. However, eating a meal rich in vitamin A is not yet a guarantee of success. The fact is that fats are needed to assimilate carotenoids. So, offering the baby a puree of carrots, add a few drops of olive oil, and season the carrot salad with sour cream or sunflower oil. Remember that most of this vitamin is found in products of red, orange and yellow.

For help - in the pharmacy?

It is not always possible to provide the child with a full vitaminized diet, and with age the need for carotenoids increases. Thus, a baby suffers 400 micrograms of vitamin A per day, 450 for a three-year period, and 700 micrograms for a seven-year-old child.

Before you give vitamin A to a child, make sure that it is really necessary to take it, because children are not recommended for preventive purposes because of the threat of hypervitaminosis. The fact is that an overdose of vitamin A in children is a risk of facial hyperemia, dry skin, vomiting, nausea, lethargy and the appearance of yellowness on the skin. With regard to therapeutic treatment, the dosage of vitamin A to children is determined by the doctor in each case.