(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers cast doubt on the value of supplements and calcium-fortified foods to build stronger bones in children.

After a recent systematic review, researchers found supplementing a diet with calcium in healthy children has little benefit for bone health. During the review, they gathered results from 19 studies where extra calcium was added to the diets of girls and boys ages 3 to 18. The calcium boost was delivered by tablets or by extracting minerals from milk and then adding it to food.

Tania Winzenberg, Ph.D., from Menzies Research Institute in Australia, says they found few significant increases in bone strength. "Such foods may have a role in children with medical conditions affecting their bones or their ability to absorb calcium or in children with very low dietary calcium intake."

Winzenberg says this new development challenges what doctors thought they knew. Nevertheless, at age 9, children will still need about 1,300 milligrams of calcium each day, according to the National Academy of Sciences. A 1994 survey from the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed children typically get less than 1,000 milligrams a day, and the average calcium deficiency in girls is even greater.

SOURCE: The Cochrane Library, 2006; 2:1464-780X