Physicians from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, answer the
following questions on children's nutrition and well-being.
Q: Should I worry if my 14-year-old son doesn't meet his calcium
requirement every day? He is driving me crazy with his ``feast or
famine'' approach to dairy products.
A: Your son's finicky behavior doesn't pose an immediate threat
to his health, but an occasional dairy ``feast'' cannot compensate
for days of calcium ``famine,'' says Dr. Steven Abrams, a calcium
metabolism researcher at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutritional
Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. For
long-term bone health, your son needs to keep his calcium intake at
recommended levels every day.
The body needs a constant supply of calcium to build bone and
keep cells functioning properly. During a dietary shortfall, no new
bone is formed and calcium is pulled from existing bone to meet
cell needs. Over time, this can weaken bones, making them more
susceptible to fractures.
Unfortunately, a day here and there loaded with calcium-rich
foods won't help bones ``catch up.'' The average adolescent body
can't absorb much more than the 1,300 milligrams recommended for
this age group each day. Any extra simply goes to waste. The
situation is further complicated by the week or more that the body
needs to ``gear up'' its rate of absorption after a routinely
high-calcium diet suddenly becomes much lower in calcium.
Although concern over your son's calcium intake is
understandable, it's important to avoid power struggles. Instead,
stock up on calcium-fortified juices, breads and ready-to-eat
cereals. You can also turn to other calcium-rich foods, such as
tofu set with calcium. Chinese cabbage, mustard and turnip greens,
broccoli and almonds when your son's interest in dairy products
wanes.
Q: Should I give my 3-year-old son iron supplements to prevent
anemia?
A: Not unless they are prescribed by a physician, says Dr.
Kathleen J. Motil, a pediatrician with the USDA/ARS Children's
Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Iron taken in supplements that is not needed could overload young
bodies and damage the liver and kidneys.
Children between 6 months and 10 years of age need just 10
milligrams of iron each day. Older boys need 12 milligrams a day
through age 18, while girls over age 10 need 15 milligrams. Iron is
used primarily to build hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying compound in
red blood cells.
The best dietary sources of iron are liver, lean red meat and
the dark meat of poultry, followed by pork, light meat poultry and
some fish and shellfish, fortified rice and grain products, brain,
blackstrap molasses, legumes and beans, soybean nuts, prune juice
and pumpkin seeds.
To improve iron absorption from bread, ready-to-eat cereals and
other plant-based foods, serve with small amounts of meat or with
vitamin C-rich foods like orange juice and strawberries.
Also, caffeine found in colas and other substances found in tea
and coffee inhibit iron absorption, so avoid serving these
beverages at mealtime.
If you wish to provide your son with additional iron, offer a
child's multivitamin with iron. But remember to keep all vitamins
as well as all medications in child-proof containers and out of the
reach of children.
Q: When do kids quit growing? My 16-year-old daughter is worried
that she'll always be taller than the boys in her class.
A: Most girls begin their growth spurt between ages of 10 and
11, and reach about 95 percent of their adult height between the
ages of 15 and 16. Boys experience a similar growth spurt, but it
begins about two years later and lasts until age 17 or 18, explains
Dr. Kenneth Ellis, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston. On average, girls grow between six and seven
inches during this five-year period, boys from eight to nine
inches.
According to Ellis, who studies children's growth at the
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, these averages are
based on measurements taken on thousands of children. So, while we
know that most girls gain only an additional one-half inch between
the ages of 16 and 18, a few will grow significantly through age
20. And, while tall parents tend to have tall children, taller
children do not always become the tallest adults.
Although it's likely that your daughter won't grow much more in
height, her bones will keep growing in thickness and strength until
her mid-20s. To maximize bone strength during this important
period, encourage her to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods and
participate in weight-bearing exercises like walking or skating.
