Sliced citrus fruits

How To Treat a Vitamin C Deficiency in Kids

We all need a certain number of vitamins and minerals in our bodies in order to function properly. When we don’t get those nutrients, it can cause major health consequences. Making sure we get the right amounts of everything we need can be difficult in our day-to-day lives, especially for our kids. Our children are constantly growing and changing, and keeping up with their nutrition on a normal basis is tough, but even more so if they have a condition like a vitamin C deficiency. However, there are ways to manage a vitamin deficiency, even in our children, if we’re careful and know what to do.

In this post, we are going to look specifically at vitamin C, what it means to have a vitamin C deficiency, and effective ways to treat the deficiency in kids.

What does vitamin C do?

Vitamin C is one of the most vital nutrients in the body as it helps to regulate the growth and repair of cells and tissues.

The body uses vitamin C to create new blood vessels, muscle tissue, cartilage, and collagen in bones. This means that vitamin C is responsible for how it rebuilds itself. Cartilage is necessary for the movement of joints meaning that not having enough can lead to inflammation and mobility issues. Blood vessels are important for the circulatory system, transporting blood and oxygen to organs throughout the body, muscle tissue is needed to grow lean, healthy muscle, and collagen helps to repair and smooth out the skin.

Beyond these basic building blocks, vitamin C helps to fight disease and strengthen the immune system to provide a better response to illness and improve wound healing.

Vitamin C deficiency can cause problems ranging from bruising and teeth and gum issues to anemia and a blood disorder known as scurvy. If left unaddressed, these conditions can even become life-threatening.

How to know if your child has vitamin C deficiency

While some symptoms may be recognizable, such as loss of energy and fatigue related to anemia, it is important to understand there is no direct way to know if your child is suffering from vitamin C deficiency or another type of disorder.

The best way to make sure your children are getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals is to talk with your doctor and note any changes in health or diet as well as the home environment or other factors so that the doctor may order the necessary tests.

How food and diet help treat vitamin C deficiency in kids

Diet is one of the key factors that can determine whether a child is getting enough vitamin C. In fact, a proper diet makes it much less likely that a child may develop a vitamin C deficiency. A vitamin C-rich diet will include foods like most citrus fruit, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, etc., as they are known to have a high concentration of vitamin C.

Other foods include many types of peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and white potatoes. Another potent source of vitamin C is most cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. Mixing in a variety of these foods into your child’s everyday diet is an easy way to help fight vitamin C deficiency.

Using oral vitamins to treat vitamin C deficiency

Many doctors will suggest that children be given a multi-vitamin to help support their overall health and supplement their nutrient intake. There are a number of children’s multi-vitamins available, as well as supplements specifically for vitamin C that can help increase the amount of vitamin C that your child is getting.

Something to think about in terms of giving your child vitamins is that it is a good idea to first make sure that the vitamin you choose is safe for children to take as the nutrient needs of children differ from that of adults. Secondly, taking oral supplements only provides a limited amount of nutrients because the body can only absorb so much from vitamins taken orally.

Using IV vitamin infusions to treat vitamin C deficiency

If your child is diagnosed with a severe vitamin C deficiency, then one way to receive quick and effective treatment is to opt for vitamin infusion via an IV. This method delivers the specific nutrients directly into the bloodstream, allowing the body to receive more of what it needs faster than via other means.

There are two other primary benefits of IV infusion. The first benefit is that IV infusions are able to be done in the comfort and safety of your home, which can make getting your child the help they need easier than going back and forth to the doctor.

Second, IV treatments can be customized to include more than one key nutrient to ensure your child has everything they need.

Direct-Delivery Vitamin C Drips

Our vitamin C drips can help ensure you get enough of this essential vitamin. We make it easy to get vitamin therapy by bringing your appointment directly to you, whether at the gym, office, home, or elsewhere. Our IV treatments are a fast and convenient way to get the benefits of vitamin infusions and generally last between 30 - 45 minutes.

We also offer select add-ons such as a glutathione push, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 shots, and more to help you feel your best. Give us a call or book an appointment by clicking the button below.