5 things to do to keep your child’s bones healthy

Most of us may have heard the elderly — grandparents, aunts, or uncles — worry or complaint about their bones getting weak. There are people who have problems walking because they have broken a bone because of osteoporosis. While osteoporosis is a disease that is associated with old age, it doesn’t mean that one should not keep bones healthy.

This is because bones play many roles in the body; they provide structure, protect organs, anchor muscles, and store calcium. Hence, it is important to build strong and healthy bones right from the very beginning.

According to Dr Saksham Mittal, consultant, Joint Replacement, Arthroscopy & Orthopaedics at CK Birla Hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, and father of a student at Apeejay School, Pitampura, there are four things that parents can do to ensure that their child’s bones remain strong.

“Post-Covid, I have seen a lot of children come for consultation who have vitamin D deficiency. This is because, for two years, these kids have been inside their homes with no exposure to sunlight. A lot of kids also have bone pain and deformities as well,” Dr Mittal said.

“For five days a week, the child is in school so parents must tell their kids to go out and play in the sun for at least 25 minutes during break time. During holidays, parents can give their child breakfast that they can eat while sitting in the sun at 10 am,” Dr Mittal said.

Dr Mittal advises that children who are not getting enough sunlight must take vitamin D supplements. These can be taken once a week for six months. “There are some diseases that kids have which decrease bone strength. In such a situation, the kids need to take supplements regularly,” Dr Mittal said in conclusion.

 Most parents think that milk is the only good source of calcium but that is not the case. Besides greens, even mushrooms and jeera have calcium and can be a part of the diet to keep bones healthy

-Dr Saksham Mittal, consultant, Joint Replacement, Arthroscopy & Orthopaedics at CK Birla Hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, and father of a student at Apeejay School, Pitampura