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Children should be encouraged to go outside during winter, experts say

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Now that winter has arrived, experts are recommending that parents seek blood testing to measure their children's vitamin D levels. Many people end up developing significantly low levels of the nutrient during the colder months.

The reason for this is that sun exposure is a person's primary source of vitamin D. It is produced naturally in the skin when exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays. However, during the winter, the sun's rays grow weaker and people tend to spend less time outdoors with exposed skin.

Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen recently wrote in the Toronto Star that parents should have their children's vitamin D levels checked through blood testing for these reasons. Moreover, children should be encouraged to go outside more on sunny days, even if it is cold. This may not provide them with adequate vitamin D levels, but it will give a bit of a boost.

A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that 70.6 of children have deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D. Furthermore, the study indicated that the problem is worse during the winter for many young people.