Warning Signs: Is Your Child Dangerously Low on Magnesium?
When it comes to our little ones, we are always concerned that we are doing the right thing. Are they eating well, are they feeling, Ok? These are but a few of the many concerned that pass through a caregiver’s mind on a day-to-day basis.
As children grow their capacity to express their needs grow with them. However often they cannot express what they are feeling accurately and we need to observe their behaviour to understand their needs in order to provide the correct solutions.
We can observe our children becoming restless, anxious and perhaps even stressed and we wonder what we can do to help them. It is always best to check with a healthcare provider or paediatrician about your children’s health but we are here to guide you on what are some symptoms of magnesium deficiency that can occur which can be solved with a magnesium supplement.
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
They are irritable.This can easily be confused with normal toddler or infant behaviour. However, it is prevailing in the household and you are at your wit’s end? This would be a good time to think about what foods are rich in magnesium and asking yourself are they getting enough? Some good sources of magnesium include nuts and seeds such as almonds, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts. Other sources include spinach, broccoli as well as oatmeal. If your little one is a picky eater this might be a good reason to consider supplementation as they might not be getting enough magnesium.
They are up late complaining about cramps.Magnesium is particularly important for muscle health. It specifically helps relax the muscles. In fact, growing pains and muscle cramps can be associated with low magnesium levels. Other symptoms that might be bothering their sleep that are associated with magnesium deficiency are teeth griding in the evenings, constipation and general restlessness.
They are anxious about school and other things.Anxiety is a very complex emotion that even an adult can struggle to explain. It is even harder for our children. Anxiety can show up as fear or worry about day-to-day tasks that should not overwhelm our young ones. This can be worrying over timetables, friends and other normal things of their daily routine. While this might be a sign of concerning psychological issues sometimes it can be fixed with a simple magnesium supplement.
Other Benefits of Magnesium
There is tremendous research going at the moment about the benefits of magnesium. Some of its surprising results includes magnesium for the treatment of asthma in children and ADHD. Children with type two diabetes or obesity have also been found to have low levels of magnesium.
What are the daily recommended allowances of magnesium?For children from one year of age 65mg of elemental magnesium is recommended. For children from ages 4-8 years, 100mg of elemental magnesium is recommended.
When is a good time to consider magnesium supplementation?While the symptoms above may be an indication of a magnesium deficiency. Other circumstances like a runny tummy or severe on set of diahorrea may cause a magnesium deficiency in the body. It might be a good idea to consider supplementation at this time.
If your child is very active and is sweating a lot during summer, a good dose of magnesium can help them recuperate some of their important minerals that are lost through perspiration. This can be particularly helpful if they are picky eaters and struggle to eat fruits, vegetables and other natural sources of magnesium.
Sources:
https://europepmc.org/article/med/9368235
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673671921040
https://europepmc.org/article/med/9368236
https://www.nourishedbeginnings.ca/blog1/magnesium-deficiency-in-kids-what-you-should-know