How Much Vitamin K Should a Kid Take?

Vitamin K is an often overlooked vitamin, though it plays an important role. Vitamin K helps the blood clot to prevent excessive bleeding and to speed healing after an injury. Children, especially, are prone to a lot of cuts and scrapes, so it is important that they are getting the recommended levels of Vitamin K in their diets each day. Daily recommendations vary according to age.

  1. Daily Recommendations for Children

    • How much Vitamin K your kid needs depends on how old he is. A publication from the Institutes of Medicine recommends 2 micrograms per day for children 0 to 6 months, 2.5 micrograms for children 7 to 12 months, 30 micrograms for children 1 to 3, 55 micrograms for children 4 to 8, 60 micrograms for children 9 to 13 and 75 micrograms for children 14 to 18. Men start to have higher daily needs than women after 18.

    Natural Sources of Vitamin K

    • Vitamin K is found in a variety of food sources. The WebMD website says that spinach, asparagus, broccoli, beans, eggs, strawberries and meat are all excellent natural sources of Vitamin K. Dr. Andrew Weil also recommends sources such as green tea, leafy greens like Swiss chard and kale, Brussels sprouts, liver, fermented dairy like yogurt and fermented soy like miso. Dr. Weil says that it is not necessary to take Vitamin K supplements, and children who eat a well-rounded diet should be able to meet all their daily Vitamin K needs easily. There are enough natural sources of Vitamin K that even kids who are picky eaters should be able to get their recommended daily dose.

    Vitamin K Deficiency

    • The University of Maryland website says that it is rare for a person to be deficient in Vitamin K since it is found in a variety of foods and can also be made by bacteria in the intestines. Many infants are given a shot of Vitamin K at birth to address any deficiencies, which are more common then. Signs of deficiency include excessive bleeding and bruising. Parents should always discuss these signs and any other concerns with a healthcare professional instead of attempting to make a self-diagnosis.

    Risks

    • The Institutes of Medicine says that no adverse reactions have been reported from Vitamin K supplementation or food consumption. Dr. Weil also says that while cases of Vitamin K toxicity have not been reported, some side effects of over-consumption may include weakness or tingling in the extremities. Any supplementation should be discussed with a pediatrician to avoid these or other potential risks.

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