There was no effect of calcium supplementation  on femoral neck or lumbar spine BMD .
There was no evidence of effect modification by baseline calcium intake , sex , ethnicity , physical activity or pubertal stage .
While there is a small effect of calcium supplementation in the upper limb , the increase in BMD which results is unlikely to result in a clinical ly significant decrease in fracture risk .
The results do not support the use of calcium supplementation  in healthy children as a public health intervention .
These results can not be extrapolated to children with medical conditions affecting bone metabolism
BACKGROUND Clinical trials have shown that  calcium supplementation in children can increase  bone mineral density ( BMD ) although this effect may not be maintained .
There has been no quantitative systematic review of this intervention .
To determine the effectiveness of calcium supplementation for improving BMD  in children .
.
To determine if any effect varies by sex , pubertal stage , ethnicity or level of physical activity , and if any effect persists after supplementation is ceased .
Adult Female Hip Bone Density Reflects Teenage Sports–Exercise Patterns But Not Teenage Calcium Intake
Objective . To examine how cumulative teenage sports histories and time-averaged  teenage calcium intake are related to total body bone mineral gain  between ages 12 and 18 years and to proximal femur bone mineral density ( BMD ) at age 18 years . Design . Longitudinal . Setting . University Hospital and local suburban community in Central Pennsylvania . Study Participants . Eighty-one white females in the ongoing Penn State Young Women 's Health Study . Outcome Measures . Total body and proximal femur ( hip ) bone measurements by dual energy radiograph absorptiometry ; nutrient intakes  , including  calcium  , from 33 days of prospect i ve food records collected at regular intervals between ages 12 and 18 years ; and self-reported sports – exercise scores  between ages 12 and 18 years . Results . Cumulative sports – exercise scores between ages 12 and 18 years were associated with hip BMD at age 18 years ( r = .42 ) but were not related to total body bone mineral gain . Time-averaged daily  calcium  intake , which ranged from 500 to 1500 mg/day in this cohort was not associated with hip BMD at age 18 years , or with total body bone mineral gain at age 12 through 18 years . Conclusions . The amount of physical activity that distinguishes a primarily sedentary teenager from one who engages in some form of exercise on a nearly daily basis is related to a significant increase in peak hip BMD
There was no effect of calcium supplementation  on femoral neck or lumbar spine BMD .
There was no evidence of effect modification by baseline calcium intake , sex , ethnicity , physical activity or pubertal stage .
While there is a small effect of calcium supplementation in the upper limb , the increase in BMD which results is unlikely to result in a clinical ly significant decrease in fracture risk .
The results do not support the use of calcium supplementation  in healthy children as a public health intervention .
These results can not be extrapolated to children with medical conditions affecting bone metabolism
BACKGROUND Clinical trials have shown that  calcium supplementation in children can increase  bone mineral density ( BMD ) although this effect may not be maintained .
There has been no quantitative systematic review of this intervention .
To determine the effectiveness of calcium supplementation for improving BMD  in children .
.
To determine if any effect varies by sex , pubertal stage , ethnicity or level of physical activity , and if any effect persists after supplementation is ceased .