Patient's question:
The child of a friend has been told by the doctor that they are calcium-deficient since they were two and a half months old and has been taking calcium supplements ever since. However, the baby is reluctant to eat properly. Two bone density tests have been conducted, both showing calcium deficiency, which has only become more severe. Previously, their height and weight were both above the normal standards, but when measured today, they were actually below the standard.What kind of help is desired: Will calcium deficiency affect the child's height growth?
Doctor's answer:
Calcium deficiency interferes with bone growth, leading to rickets, which is essentially stunted growth. The key to supplementing calcium is to metabolize it, and the key to metabolization is the assistance of Vitamin D. You have been supplementing your baby with calcium, but the baby is still calcium-deficient because the calcium hasn't been fully metabolized. In addition to Vitamin D helping with metabolization, phosphorus also plays a very important role. Only when calcium and phosphorus are deposited in the bones can the condition of calcium deficiency be stabilized.