Rickets and Milk Allergy

Filed in archive Food Allergies on May 22, 2006

Those (kids) who have milk allergy should pay particular attention on their Vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is important in bone development, and a deficiency in this vitamin may result to rickets, a condition characterized by softening and malformation of the bones. This vitamin is quite obscure and is found only in a limited number of foods. The main source is, unfortunately for those with allergies, milk.

What you can do: Scour the supermarket shelves for Vitamin-D fortified soy milk, rice milk, or other cow milk alternatives. Some fruit juices are also fortified with Vitamin D. A bit more sun exposure can help, too, since UV rays trigger Vitamin-D synthesis in the skin. As an ultimate solution: ask your doctor or pharmacist for Vitamin-D supplements. And while you're at it, you might also want to ask for a combination of Vit. D and Calcium.

Ensuring sufficient Vitamin D intake is especially important in children because of their rapid growth and high need to maintain good bone formation. For best advice, consult with your pediatrician or dieticians. Do NOT self-prescribe; there are also health risks to Vitamin D overdose!

Read more from Yahoo News: Rickets still a risk for kids with milk allergy.