Vitamin D Deficiency in the Winter & What Parents Can Do to Help 

This is not medical advice. Please consult your physician or practitioner. 

Parents are often concerned about vitamin deficiencies in their kids. Still, most deficiencies are pretty rare unless a child has a specific medical condition, is receiving medication that interferes with vitamin absorption or has an extremely limited diet. However, vitamin D is one of the MOST common deficiencies in healthy children –iron and vitamin D are the top 2. As a pediatric dietitian, I have seen vitamin D deficiencies way more than any other. Vitamin D deficiency in the winter is especially common in kids who are not spending adequate time outside.   

Does Vitamin D help with the winter blues?

Vitamin D, an essential nutrient for our bodies, is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps us absorb calcium and phosphorus. Most people are familiar with vitamin D’s positive effects on bone health, but there is more evidence emerging which shows that vitamin D also helps strengthen our immune systems and decreases the risk of depression. 

This is especially important for our kids who already have higher health risks due to a history of trauma. And it’s also vital for their caregivers who are at risk of blocked care or parenting fatigue. 

It’s true that a lot of the research seems to be inconclusive and recommends further study. However, there is a greater likelihood that vitamin D deficiency in winter contributes to mental health challenges and weakens our immunity than there is of any harm to consuming adequate vitamin D. So, the risk-to-benefit ratio highly favors consuming adequate vitamin D intake. 

How much is needed and who is most at risk of deficiency? 

Most kids and adults need around 15 micrograms (600 IU) of Vitamin D daily — this is the DRI (dietary reference intake) for most individuals 1-70 years of age. 

The best source of vitamin D is the sun. However, each person’s ability to absorb vitamin D from the sun varies, especially with varying skin colors. The darker the skin, the more melanin it contains which protects against the sun’s UV rays and also makes it more difficult to absorb vitamin D. 

There are other factors to consider when it comes to sun exposure, like how much skin is exposed, climate, and season. This is why vitamin D deficiency in the winter is much more common. There’s less exposure to the sun, we’re further away from the sun, and usually, our bodies are more thoroughly covered up because of the climate. 

Individuals with lighter skin can usually get enough Vitamin D from 10-20 minutes per day of mid-day sun exposure, while darker skin requires a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes. These guidelines vary depending on the time of year and the amount of melanin in the skin. This shows that vitamin D during the winter more commonly affects those with darker skin tones.

40% of Americans are vitamin D deficient, but 75-80% of African Americans are estimated to be vitamin D deficient.

How to prevent vitamin D deficiency  

Here are a few tips to help prevent Vitamin D deficiency during the winter when adequate sun exposure is challenging:

1. Take a vitamin D supplement. Consult with a healthcare provider to determine the right dosage based on your or your child’s needs, but as previously mentioned, it’s typically going to be 15 micrograms for maintenance (preventing a deficiency). Most pediatric multivitamins should contain the DRI of Vitamin D. Most supplements that exclusively contain Vitamin D are dosed for treating a deficiency which means they have much higher amounts than the DRI. This is only recommended for individuals who have a confirmed deficiency. 
2. Include vitamin D-rich foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna), fortified dairy or plant-based milk, fortified orange juice, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified cereals. But please don’t get hung up on trying to get your kid to eat vitamin D-containing foods. These foods have such low amounts of the vitamin that it’s not worth trying to plead with your child to eat them. In fact, no food is worth that! Pressure to eat something always backfires. The most important thing when it comes to food is that you are eating together. For many families, preventing vitamin D deficiency in the winter will likely require supplementation. 
3. Get safe sunlight exposure by spending some time outdoors on sunny winter days, especially midday when the sun is strongest. Outdoor activities that the family enjoys (like walking, biking, or playing sports) can help extend time outdoors during the cold days of winter. 

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and treatment

Some common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:

• Bone pain
• History of fractures (broken bones)
• Muscle pain/weakness
• Muscle twitches or spasms
• Altered mood (depressed, anxious, irritable)
• Brain fog
• Decreased appetite
• Bowed legs/rickets
• Osteomalacia
• Fatigue

If you or your child has signs or symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency ask your doctor to check a level because a supplement with 50 micrograms (2000 IU) will be needed. An individual cannot safely get this much absorption from the sun or food sources.

There are two main types of vitamin D supplements: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). The short and sweet summary is that D3 tends to be more readily absorbed and therefore is more commonly recommended for supplementation. 

It’s important to note that supplements are not regulated by the FDA. This means that vitamin companies can say their products contain what the label says they contain, but no one is holding them accountable to check and see if they are telling the truth or if there are accidental errors. So I always recommend choosing a supplement that uses third-party testing. An easy way to notice this is to see if the supplement label says “USP verified”. 

What’s Next?

Now that you understand how beneficial vitamin D is, how much is needed, and how to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiencies in winter, what will you do to help your family’s health this winter? If you’re interested in working directly with a pediatric dietitian to help nourish your kids with a focus on connection, you can check out my virtual program The Nourished & Connected Family Framework, or schedule a FREE 15-minute discovery call with me below!