Vitamin D Deficiency may Wrongly be Interpreted as Abuse

A significant number of babies who died due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome suffered from vitamin D deficiency, according to report by two senior pediatric pathologists in Britain.

Dr Irene Scheimberg and Dr Marta Cohen suggested that vitamin D deficiency could also lead to injuries and deaths that may be viewed as suspicious and may cause children to be taken away from their parents on suspicions of child abuse.

These findings were triggered by a case in 2009 when Dr Scheimberg found that congenital rickets was the cause of death in a four-month-old baby. The parents of the latter were accused of causing death by shaking.

Dr Scheimberg is of the opinion that bones of very small babies become brittle due to vitamin D deficiency and also fracture very easily. "We need to investigate the vitamin D levels of these children carefully and the circumstances in which the bones fracture," she told the BBC.

Larger studies are needed to ascertain the link between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of infant deaths, but if these findings are borne out, health officials need to consider increasing vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women.

Source: Medindia

Calcium and Vitamin Supplements

Calcium and vitamin supplements are taken to provide the body with the ''required'' nutrients. Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Vitamins are very important nutrients for the body.

Rickets

Encyclopedia section of medindia explains in brief about Rickets

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome / Cot Death

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is death of a baby, under one year of age that occurs in sleep and cannot be explained.

Dandy Walker Syndrome

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Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is also known as cobalamine or cyanocobalamine, owing to the presence of the metal, cobalt. Cyanocobalamine is used in most supplements because it is readily converted to active forms of vitamin B-12 in the body.

Vitamin B6

Vitamins play an equally important part in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters in the brain also help maintain good mood while keeping one''s mental faculties sharp

Vitamin B9

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Vitamin C / Ascorbic acid

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Vitamin Supplements

Easy to understand info & tips with diagrams about vitamin supplements like vitamin C, B6, B9 & B12. Latest research news on each vitamin's benefits and drawbacks for better consumer understanding.

Vitamin-F

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