Think twice before locking up your children indoors this summer. While forcing them to stay indoors may save them from the scorching sun, a study shows that denying them a little sunshine during their growing years could harm their health.
The ‘Pilot Study of Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Vitamin D Status and Health Awareness in Children of Tamil Nadu’, conducted by the Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital and The Childs Trust Medical Research Foundation and sponsored by the State Planning Commission, shows that despite abundant sunshine in the State, Vitamin D deficiency is widespread as children do not spend time playing outdoors.
The study of 1,010 children from Chengalpet, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Arakkonam, Kumbakonam, Vellore and Chennai’s periphery found that 86 per cent of kids received inadequate sunlight exposure — of less than 30 minutes per week — indicating a changing lifestyle.
“Most of the children receive negligible sunlight exposure only between 3 pm to 5 pm during which cutaneous production of Vitamin D (skin producing the vitamin) is inefficient,” the study said. “The best time for ultraviolet light exposure for cutaneous synthesis of Vitamin D is between 10 am and 2 pm. But most school children are in the classroom and not outdoors and in front of TV screens indoors during holidays at home,” the study added. It urged schools to have outdoor physical education sessions between 10 am and 2 pm, ensuring at least 30 minute sunlight exposure a week to prevent this deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency is likely to play a critical role in the high prevalence of rickets, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and infections such as tuberculosis in India.
According to another study — ‘Vitamin D Deficiency in India: Prevalence, Causalities and Interventions’ - published in the journal Nutrients, a minimum of 45 minutes of ‘direct sun exposure’ to the face, arms and legs was required every day.
With the exception of those who work outdoors in the sun, most Indians do not get adequate exposure to ultraviolet rays, the study pointed out.
Paediatricians claim lack of Vitamin D in children will lead to serious bone deformities, which if chronic will lead to rickets, a condition where proper formation of bones is affected. “We live in a tropical country where people are supposed to be enriched with Vitamin D.
However, many here are dependent on vitamin supplements. Because of this, WHO has recommended 400 to 800 international units (IU) a day of Vitamin D compulsorily for every person,” said Dr S Kumudha, head, department of neonatology and deputy superintendent, Institute of Child Health and Hospital, Egmore. She said the deficiency could even cause pelvis contraction in girl children, leading to complications during childbirth when they grew up. “It is always better to get Vitamin D naturally than going for supplements,” she added.
A senior paediatrician in the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital said children could be given vitamin D-rich food such as meat, egg and fish. But he asserted that the Vitamin D that the body produces from sunlight was more effective than supplements as the body absorbs it better.