Asking about a patient’s consumption of calcium and vitamin D may seem burdensome during certain well-child visits, but doing so can help children avoid osteoporosis, according to a new AAP clinical report.
By age 18 years, about 90% of peak bone mass has been accrued.
“Adequate calcium and vitamin D is critical in those formative years, and the best way to do that is through dietary means,” said Neville Golden, M.D., FAAP, a lead author of Optimizing Bone Health in Children and Adolescents (
Not just an adult disease, osteoporosis also can afflict children, and the antecedents of osteoporosis occur in childhood and early adolescence. “It’s really important that the pediatrician is aware of these issues and knows the role that he or she can play,” Dr. Golden said.
For most children, it’s best to...
