Increasing numbers of children are being admitted to hospitals in HCMCity because of excessive ingestion of vitamin D supplements.

The HCM City Paediatric Hospital No1 this week admitted one child whoexperienced convulsions after drinking a liquid vitamin-D supplement.

The child had the same symptoms as encephalitis, doctors said.

His mother gave him the vitamin-D supplement, hoping it would help increase his height and maintain healthy bones.

Dr Bach Van Cam of the hospital said many mothers were buying the vitamin drinks.

However, in tropical climates such as Vietnam , where sunlight isabundant, and vitamin D shortages are not common. The sun is anexcellent source of vitamin D.

Too much vitamin-D supplement could lead to a loss of appetite and convulsions, doctors have said.

The HCM City Nutrition Centre said it treated nearly 125,000 children per year for malnutrition, eating disorders and obesity.

In drugstores, many vitamin supplements sell at cheap prices that families can afford.

Dr Do Thi Ngoc Diep, deputy head of the city's Nutrition Centre, warnedthat abuse of vitamins could lead to physical disorders.

Drinking a lot of vitamin A, for example, could lead to shock, vomiting,or damage to red blood cells, the latter leading to anaemia.

According to Diep, breastfeeding children under six months old are sufficient to supply the necessary nutrients.

For children between six months and three years old, the healthcaresector creates a Vitamin A Supplement Programme to help prevent dryeyes, and respiratory and digestive infections.

"If a child has a proper diet, a vitamin shortage will not occur," Diep added.

Parents should provide the proper nutrition for children, andsupplement the diet with vitamins only when necessary, Cam said./.