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 .
Girls on a high-calcium diet gain weight at the same rate as girls on a normal diet: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE To determine whether pubertal girls assigned to calcium-rich diets or their usual calcium intakes differ significantly in weight gain . DESIGN This is a pilot study conducted on data from an experimental research project . SUBJECTS/ SETTING The sample included 59 girls , 9 years of age , from Omaha metropolitan communities . INTERVENTION Participants were r and omly assigned to a calcium-rich diet supplying at least 1,500 mg of calcium per day or their usual diet . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The outcome measure was change in weight during 2 years of study . STATISTICAL ANALYSES Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics , Mann-Whitney U , t tests of paired and independent sample s , and analysis of covariance . RESULTS The girls in the calcium-rich diet group had a mean ( + /-st and ard deviation ) calcium intake of 1,656+/-191 mg/day , whereas the girls on their usual diets averaged 961+/-268 mg/day . Although the participants in the treatment group consumed nearly twice as much dietary calcium -- primarily from dairy foods -- they did not have greater increases in body weight , body mass index , or fat or lean mass than the control group . These findings held when the data were grouped by tertile of calcium intake . Compared with girls on their usual diets , the girls who consumed the calcium-rich diet also significantly increased their intake of essential nutrients . CONCLUSION We conclude that calcium-rich diets do not cause excessive weight gain in pubertal girls but do contribute positively to overall nutrition . These findings provide support for programs to promote calcium-rich diets , which are critical for attaining peak bone mass
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 .