Title: Vitamin D Deficiency
Feed: CWKN #390, June 18, 2008
Time:  1:38
SUGGESTED LEAD: STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT VITAMIN “D” CAN HELP PREVENT RICKETS, BROKEN BONES, AND CHRONIC DISEASES.  IT’S EVEN BEEN SHOWN TO PREVENT TYPE-1 DIABETES.  BUT STUDIES ALSO SHOW THAT UP TO 40 PERCENT OF KIDS AREN’T GETTING ENOUGH OF THIS VITAMIN ... AND DOCTORS SAY THAT’S A PROBLEM.  CONNECT WITH KIDS HAS MORE.
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NARR: A SUDDEN SEIZURE BACK WHEN SHE WAS NINE MONTHS OLD WAS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE PARENTS OF 3-YEAR-OLD JADE WHITAKER.  (:07)

SUPER: Trina Patton, Jade’s Mother  (:10)
“And they said we need to admit her. And I’m like for a calcium deficiency?  I mean for a calcium deficiency!”

NARR: NOT ENOUGH CALCIUM… BECAUSE SHE WASN’T GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D, WHICH HELPS THE BONES ABSORB CALCIUM. HER SEIZURE WAS THE FIRST SIGN OF RICKETS … A BONE SOFTENING DISEASE.  (:11)

SUPER: Norman Carvalho, M.D., Pediatric Bone Specialist (:28)
“There was a time when we thought that we had actually eliminated rickets but it’s become clear that as people are avoiding sunlight rickets has become more of a problem.”

NARR: SUNLIGHT TRIGGERS VITAMIN D PRODUCTION IN THE BODY … BUT THESE DAYS SOME KIDS DON’T GET MUCH SUN.

FOOD IS ANOTHER SOURCE … BUT THAT’S A PROBLEM, TOO.  (:09)

SOT: Norman Carvalho, M.D., Pediatric Bone Specialist (:47)
“Naturally occurring dietary vitamin d is rare really—it’s only present in cod liver oil and salmon in significant quantities.”

NARR: THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDS AT LEAST 200-INTERNATIONAL UNITS OF VITAMIN “D’ A DAY… THAT’S THE AMOUNT FOUND IN TWO 8-OUNCE GLASSES OF MILK.

NURSING BABIES, AS JADE WAS, NEED A VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT BECAUSE BREAST MILK CONTAINS ONLY TRACE AMOUNTS OF VITAMIN “D”.

FROM ENRICHED ORANGE JUICE, FROM MILK, AND MODERATE AMOUNTS OF SUNSHINE, JADE NOW GETS PLENTY OF VITAMIN D AND HER BONES ARE NOW STRONG … AND SHE’S NEVER HAD ANOTHER SEIZURE.  (:29)

SOT: Trina Patton, Jade’s Mother (1:26)
“Developmentally, we caught her’s before there was any bone structure damage. Other children aren’t that lucky.”

NATS:  “Cheers!”

SUGGESTED TAG:   SOME EXPERTS SAY CHILDREN SHOULD GET 2-THOUSAND INTERNATIONAL UNITS OF VITAMIN “D” A DAY TO IMPROVE THE BONE HEALTH AND OVERALL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN.  LOG ONTO WWW.CONNECTWITHKIDS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.