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 .
Bone Size and Bone Mass in 10-Year-Old Danish Children: Effect of Current Diet

Abstract : Lifestyle factors , such as diet , are believed to be involved in modifying bone health , although the results remain controversial , particularly in children and adolescents . The objective of the study was to identify associations between dietary factors and whole body bone measurements in 10-year-old children . The study was a cross-sectional analysis of a r and om sample of 105 healthy Danish children , aged 10 years ( 9.97 ± 0.09 ) . Whole body bone mineral content ( BMC ) and bone area ( BA ) were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry . The influence of diet ( 7 day food records ) on BMC and BA were examined in bi- and multivariate analyses . The mean intakes of calcium , protein , phosphorus and sodium were 1226 mg , 78 g , 1523 mg and 3.3 g , respectively . In bivariate analyses , BMC and BA were strongly positively correlated with height ( p<0.001 ) and weight ( p<0.001 ) , and with intakes of energy ( p<0.005 ) and several nutrients . BMC was adjusted for size by including BA , height and weight in the multiple linear regression , and BA was adjusted for size by including height and weight in the multiple linear regression . In multivariate analyses , size-adjusted BMC was positively associated with calcium intake ( p = 0.02 ) . Size-adjusted BA was positively associated with dietary protein ( p = 0.003 ) , and negatively associated with intakes of sodium ( p = 0.048 ) and phosphorus ( p = 0.01 ) . In conclusion , calcium intake was positively associated with bone mineralization . There was a positive association between protein and BA , while for phosphorus and sodium the association was negative . The findings suggest that in addition to calcium , the intake of other nutrients influences bone development in prepubertal children
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 .