Children not getting enough vitamin D, study says

NEW YORK A report published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent medicine found that children are not getting enough vitamin D, which can lead to problems later in life.

The study looked at 380 children between the ages of 8 months and 2 years at Children’s Hospital Boston, finding vitamin D deficiency in 40 percent of subjects. The deficiency can cause weakness in the bones and immune system and results from insufficient intake of fortified milk or supplements, as well as being overweight.

The body manufactures vitamin D when sunlight hits the skin; it is also added to many foods. Foods naturally rich in vitamin D include salmon, sardines, cod, shrimp, milk and eggs, according to the George Mateljan Foundation for the World’s Healthiest Foods, with sockeye and Chinook salmon having the highest concentrations.