Nation IN BRIEF : MASSACHUSETTS : Extra Calcium May Aid Children’s Bones

Feeding youngsters who have not yet reached puberty twice the recommended amount of calcium appears to help them grow denser bones and may ward off fractures later in life, a study found. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in Boston, found that only prepubescent children seemed to benefit significantly from the extra calcium. Dr. Charles W. Slemenda, a co-author of the study, said extra calcium did not change children’s height, weight or bone size, but the accumulation of mineral within their bones was greater. A doctor not connected with the study warned against loading children up with extra calcium until scientists know more about its long-term effects.