Dr. Deepal Perera, a specialist at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo, said yesterday (9) that children sitting for the Grade Five Scholarship Exam are at a high risk of developing a deficiency of Vitamin D.
He said that due to the examination, children sitting for the exam will not be allowed to go out and play or do any other outdoor physical activity, so they will develop Vitamin D deficiency and rickets which causes bone pain.
He stated that children’s exposure to the outdoors and sunlight has decreased due to addiction to the internet and social media.
Dr. Perera said that Vitamin D deficiency is a contributing factor in children’s malnutrition and children should be given the opportunity to engage in activities in the sun. He said that children should be exposed to sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes between 10.00 am to 3.00 pm everyday for their bodies to produce Vitamin D.
Doctors also say that reports have revealed that children between the ages of one and four in Sri Lanka suffer from Vitamin D deficiency more than any other age group.
(dailynews.lk)
(This story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)
