{"id":26248,"date":"2021-06-09T09:49:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T09:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nutricare.com.vn\/experts-warnings-and-common-mistake-of-vietnamese-mothers-when-supplementing-calcium-for-children\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T03:02:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T03:02:02","slug":"experts-warnings-and-common-mistake-of-vietnamese-mothers-when-supplementing-calcium-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nutricare.com.vn\/en\/experts-warnings-and-common-mistake-of-vietnamese-mothers-when-supplementing-calcium-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts’ warnings and common mistake of vietnamese mothers when supplementing calcium for children"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eva.vn – <\/em><\/strong>Almost every parent knows that calcium is necessary for the development of children, especially in terms of height. However, many parents do not fully understand calcium as well as know-how to choose and supplement the right amount of calcium for their children\u2026 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Parents who want their children to be tall and healthy should always find ways to supplement the best nutrients. However, there is an alarming fact that many people are now taking calcium supplements in the wrong way, causing bad consequences for the health and future development of children.<\/span><\/p>\n

To properly understand the mechanism of calcium absorption and know how to safely and effectively supplement calcium for children, parents should refer to the sharing of Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop – President of the Vietnam Nutrition Association, Former Director of the National Institute of Nutrition:<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Properly understand of calcium and avoid taking calcium supplements in the wrong way<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Question 1: Dear Professor, every parent wants their child to be healthy, develop maximum height and one of the ways many parents choose is to supplement calcium for their children. However, not everyone understands what calcium is and how it works. Could you explain more for parents to understand?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop:<\/b> It is true that many parents want their children to grow taller and pay attention to calcium supplements for their children. Calcium is really an essential mineral for the health and growth of children.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the human body, 99% of calcium is in bones and teeth and only 1% is in blood cells. According to research, nutrients, as well as calcium from food sources, are the best, however, calcium in the Vietnamese diet only meets about 50-60% of the recommended needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, we need to supplement calcium, especially for children of growing age. For example: At the pre-puberty stage (8-10 years old in girls and 9-12 years old in boys), if a reasonable diet is ensured (enough calcium, protein, zinc, vitamin A, energy). …), children can increase in height by 8-10cm\/year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"At the pre-puberty stage (8-10 years old in girls and 9-12 years old in boys), if a reasonable diet is ensured (enough calcium, protein, zinc, vitamin A, energy). …), children can increase in height by 8-10cm\/year.<\/span><\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Question 2: Many parents think that the more calcium you add, the taller your child will be, is this true, Professor? What are the health risks of not getting enough or too much calcium?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop<\/b>: Parents must be familiar with the saying \u201ctoo much of anything is not good\u201d. This is true in calcium supplements for children. Lack of calcium will affect the solidity of bones and teeth and the child’s ability to grow taller: teeth grow slowly, children may have rickets (hair has signs of the rim, protruding bones, concave breasts, not sleeping well at night). Calcium deficiency also affects the immune system, reducing resistance to fight diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n

Too much supplementation leading to excess calcium can also cause consequences for children such as constipation, early ossification… Excess calcium for a long time can also cause some more serious consequences such as calcium accumulation causing calcification or kidney stones, causing the body to reduce the absorption of other minerals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. To ensure the right amount of calcium supplements for children, parents should consult with doctors or nutritionists.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Lack of calcium will affect the solidity of bones and teeth and the child’s ability to grow taller. Too much supplementation leading to excess calcium can also cause consequences for children such as constipation, early ossification.<\/span><\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Question 3: In addition to the inappropriate dosage supplementation that causes “more harm than benefit” as above, parents are often prone to other mistakes when supplementing calcium for children, Professor.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop<\/b>: Because of worrying that the amount of calcium in the diet is not enough for their children, some parents abuse medicinal products to supplement calcium with high content, or choose the types of calcium that are difficult to absorb, leading to an excess of calcium in children.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Milk and calcium-rich provide the best calcium for children.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the time of calcium supplementation for children as well as the side effects when using the wrong combination. For example, avoid taking calcium with iron because calcium will interfere with iron absorption, which can cause anemia in children.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, many parents do not know and pay attention to calcium supplements combined with D3, K2 – a set of 3 to help optimize calcium absorption, so they cannot promote the effectiveness of this nutrient.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. How should calcium supplements be given to children?<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Question 4: Dear Professor, how should calcium supplements be given to children, and what amount should be appropriate??<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop<\/b>: Calcium requirements depend on age, sex, developmental stage, and physiological status; Therefore, when supplementing calcium for children, parents need to find out how much calcium their children need per day to avoid affecting the development of children.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the recommended nutritional needs for Vietnamese people of Ministry of Health, National Institute of Nutrition (2016):<\/span><\/p>\n

The calcium requirement (mg\/day) by age and gender for Vietnamese children is given as follows: 6-11 months old is 400 mg\/day, 1-2-year-old is 500 mg\/day, 3-5 years old 600 mg\/day, 6-7 years old is 650 mg\/day, 8-9 years old is 700 mg\/day, 10-19 years old is 1000 mg\/day. The calcium (Ca) requirement of the body is determined in correlation with Phosphor (P): the desired Ca\/P ratio is at least > 0.8 at any age, preferably 1-1.5 (especially for children).<\/span><\/p>\n

Question: What should parents pay attention to in order to supplement the calcium for children correctly and sufficiently to promote the highest effectiveness and not cause side effects, Professor?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop<\/b>:<\/span><\/i> There are 4 things parents need to pay attention to make sure their children absorb calcium most effectively:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n