The Institute of Medicine updated their recommendations for calcium and Vitamin D a few years ago. When looking at the table, keep the following point in mind. Adults need 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Most food labels list the amount of calcium as a percentage of the adult daily requirement. To interpret what this means for kids, you will need to do a little math. For example, it a portion has 80 percent of the daily requirement, that means it contains 80% of 1,000 or 800 mg. Similarly, if the portion has 35 percent of the daily requirement, that means it contains 35% of 1,000 or 350 mg.
At some point, food labels may list the amount of calcium in mg rather than percentage figures. Until that time, plan on doing some calculations in order to figure out how much calcium your kids are getting.
The best way to obtain nutrients is from what you eat, but anyone who spends time with children knows that can be an uphill battle. If your child doesn’t get the optimum nutrients from his diet, a supplement is the next best option.
| Age | Calcium (mg/day) | Vitamin D (IU/day) |
| Birth to 6 months | 200 | 400 |
| 6 months to 1 year | 260 | 400 |
| 1 to 3 years | 700 | 400 |
| 4 to 8 years | 1,000 | 600 |
| 9 to 13 years | 1,300 | 600 |
| 14 to 18 years | 1,300 | 600 |
| 19 to 30 years | 1,000 | 600 |
Check out the following links for more information about calcium and Vitamin D:
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional
Howard J. Bennett - Pediatrician and Author in Washington, D.C. 