CHICAGO (AP) -- The nation's leading pediatricians group is out
with new advice on how much vitamin D children should be getting.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says children from newborns
to teens should get double the usually recommended amount of
vitamin D. The change is based on mounting research about the
potential benefits from vitamin D besides keeping bones strong,
including suggestions that it might reduce risks for cancer,
diabetes and heart disease.
To meet the new recommendation, millions of children will need
to take daily vitamin D supplements. That includes breast-fed
infants and many teens who drink little or no milk.
Vitamin D is also found in cereal and some types of fish
including tuna, mackerel and sardines. The best source is sunlight,
because the body makes vitamin D when sunshine hits the skin.