Action for Sick Children Welcomes Vitamin 'D' Deficiency Campaign

STOCKPORT, U.K. - March 19, 2014 - PRLog -- Children’s charity chief Pamela Barnes MBE Hon, FRCPCH has welcomed a new campaign to alert parents to the dangers of vitamin D deficiency in children.

The chairman of Action for Sick Children described the ‘Vitamin D Mission’ campaign as a vitally important initiative to inform parents, many of whom were unaware of the significant health implications of low Vitamin D levels.

“This is an important campaign that we at Action for Sick Children support wholeheartedly,” said Mrs Barnes. “It is essential that parents of young children are fully aware of the health problems associated with low levels of Vitamin D.”

As well as being linked to multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis and obesity, insufficient levels of this crucial vitamin can also result in rickets.  Once thought to have been eradicated in the Victorian era, rickets has increased fourfold in the last 15 years.

Approximately forty per cent of children are believed to be deficient in the vitamin because they spend too little time outside, partly due to parents’ fears of them developing skin cancer from sun exposure.

Doctors recommend 10 to 15 minutes in the sun with no sunscreen to help children get the vitamin D they need. Eggs and oily fish are also good sources.

For further information click onto: www.actionforsickchildren.org.uk

ENDS