Isle parents and health care professionals being educated about vitamin D

Health visitors from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust are educating parents and health care professionals about the importance of Vitamin D in our diets.

Fahmida Masud, health visitor, said: “We’re talking to health professionals like school nurses, midwives and children’s centre staff, about deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D in children.

“There are two ways we can get the recommended amount of vitamin D: through sun exposure and diet. In our region we’re lacking in UVB rays so we’re highlighting diet supplements as a means to ensuring children get enough vitamin D.”

You can get some vitamin D from food products such as oily fish, meat, eggs, and some cereals but most women and children won’t eat enough to get their required levels.

David Midwinter, health visitor, added: “Lack of vitamin D inhibits calcium absorption and can lead to bone density formation. But what many people don’t realise is that it’s also linked to other conditions including cancers, heart disease, fractures and falls.”

The duo are promoting the Healthy Start vouchers which are available to eligible* parents to purchase fruit and milk formula . What many people don’t realise is that they also have a voucher attached to them for free vitamins. David and Fahmida are encouraging parents to use these, and are speaking to health care professionals about raising awareness of the vouchers with parents and registering them for the vouchers during their contact with families.

Parents are invited to go along and find out more about why vitamin D is so important for their child’s health. Health visitors will be at the following children’s centres in the area during April:

· April 20, Henderson avenue children’s centre, 1pm to 3pm

· April 28, Side by Side children’s centre, 9am to 11am.