Magnesium Deficiency in Children

The importance of healthy magnesium levels can be judged from the fact that over 300 metabolic processes depend on this mineral. Be it the production of energy, to promoting bone health or ensuring effective functioning of the heart, muscles and kidneys, the presence of magnesium in adequate amounts is crucial for a healthy living. As we all know, calcium is essential to keep the bones strong. However, to encourage proper absorption of calcium in bones, having magnesium in the normal range is a must. Magnesium insufficiency is especially worrisome in children as it puts them in the risk zone of asthma and ADHD.

Magnesium Inadequacy in Children

Symptoms
As quite a few bodily functions require magnesium, its deficiency be it minor or major can trigger a multitude of health problems. Some of the health issues linked with inadequate magnesium levels are given below:

• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness and cramps
• Muscle spasms or twitching
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Disturbances in heart rhythms
• Poor bone health that may lead to osteoporosis
• Sleep disorders like insomnia
• Mental issues such as depression, nervousness and anxiety
• Seizures

Dietary magnesium is known to regulate calcium and potassium levels in the body. So, when magnesium levels drop below a certain threshold, disturbances in the concentration of both these nutrients is evident. In fact, with magnesium deficiency there is a high possibility that your child may get diagnosed with low calcium and potassium levels, which adversely affect bone health.

Causes
Food being the primary source of magnesium for humans, unhealthy diet is the main reason why children suffer from poor magnesium levels. It is discussed below:

Poor Diet
It is observed that children frown at the sight of a salad but give them a burger and they would instantly grab it. As more and more children are getting attracted to junk food, which is replacing healthy foods like green leafy vegetables and fruits, how can one expect normal magnesium levels. Fast foods only help to satiate the hunger but have hardly any nutritional value, hence eating them leads to deficiency of essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

Kidney Problems
Kidneys dispose off excess magnesium through the urine in order to keep this mineral in the normal range. However, if the kidneys are not working properly, abnormally high amounts of magnesium might be removed from the body. This abnormal functioning of the kidneys can cause low magnesium in the body. Kidney problems occurring in children can be either acute or chronic. A sudden sharp decrease in the kidney function is categorized as acute kidney failure, however, chronic problems cause slow progressive deterioration of kidneys, hence are slightly difficult to detect in the initial stages.

Other Causes
Although poor nutrition and kidney diseases can cause a fall in magnesium levels in children, these are not the only factors. It is observed that magnesium in our body behaves like an electrolyte and so factors that trigger electrolytic imbalance cannot be overlooked. Children who have the habit of consuming coffee eventually suffer from dehydration. Coffee, being a diuretic prompts the body to release more than normal amounts of urine. This excess urination can deplete the magnesium stores in our body leading to its deficiency. Children diagnosed with gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome that are characterized by diarrhea and vomiting may also cause magnesium levels to drop below the normal limits.

Treatment
Ensuring that children follow a healthy well-balanced diet is the simplest way to overcome magnesium deficiency. Children diagnosed with low magnesium levels should eat foods high in magnesium on a daily basis. In case, magnesium deficiency test pinpoints an alarmingly low-level of magnesium then besides diet the child might be prescribed with magnesium supplements to manage symptoms. The doctor decides the dosage after considering the child's age and the severity of deficiency. In case the diet is not lacking in magnesium, the child may be asked to undergo certain tests to check for kidney diseases.

Magnesium Insufficiency and ADHD
Lack of magnesium in diet can also trigger ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) symptoms in children. This is evident from the fact that 9 in 10 ADHD patients suffer from low magnesium levels. Thus, changes in dietary patterns could help control ADHD in children. Studies have proven that ADHD children put on magnesium supplements for a stipulated period of time showed a marked improvement in their attention span and mental capability. Thus, behavioral problems like hyperactivity associated with ADHD can also be brought under control with intake of magnesium supplements.

Asthma and Magnesium Deficiency
Kids with low magnesium have a higher chance of contracting asthma than their peers showing healthy magnesium levels. This rightly proves that improving magnesium levels can go a long way in improving asthma attacks. No wonder, administering magnesium intravenously has helped to manage symptoms of severe asthma attacks.

On the whole, inculcating healthy eating habits during childhood is the key to keeping the deficiency of essential nutrients at bay. As a parent, you need to make your child aware of the benefits of eating healthy food and the hazards of indulging in fast food. This can go a long way in preventing calcium deficiency in children.