“Should my child be getting a blood test often?”
My daughter has had a blood test done before, mainly because she was experiencing fatigue. It came back that she was suffering from a deficiency in vitamin D. With this deficiency, should she be getting a blood test often to monitor it?
4 Answers
It would be important after any treatment recommended by her doctor to be followed by a blood test to check the progression, and to see if additional blood test is necessary. Consult your daughter doctor. Sometimes, there is no need for additional test but at least a yearly check up is recommended. Thank you.
In my opinion, your child should be referred to a dietician, and you should be asked questions about sun exposure and family history. If a diet plan is prescribed, one usually would not see changes until 4-6 weeks. Monitor your child's progress. If the lethargy worsens during the time period of diet and redraw, contact your physician.
RB Thomas, MD
RB Thomas, MD
Biggest source of Vitamin D is activation by Sunlight. If that's the problem easily can be solved. If patient shows better improvement after sufficient exposure to sunlight, there is no necessary to repeat but one more test after recovery should be sufficient. If no change other causes need to be ruled out.
Sandra L. Aponte
Pathologist
Many people have Vit D deficiency. It is important she gets the blood tests to see if the Vit D (I assumed she's on Vit D) is working. So, yes, she should have an annual test to determine if her levels are normal after treatment. She needs 600 International Units a day to keep a normal level.
