CONTENTS Introduction 501 Absorption 502 Sites of absorption 502 Relationship betweon absorption, dietary 502 intake and requirements Mechanism of absorption 502 Control of calcium absorption 503 Dietary factors affecting the availability 504 of calcium and phosphorus Excretion 505 Additional losses in pregnancy and lactation 506 Skeletal metabolism 507 Endocrine regulation of metabolism 508 Role of parathyroid hormone, calcitonin 508 and vitamin D Role of growth hormone and oestrogen 509 Parturient paresis (milk fever) 509 Factors implicated in the development of 509 parturient paresis PAGE Failure of the endocrine control system 509 Calcium content of the diet 510 Decreased intestinal motility at par-510 turition Plasma oestrogen and progesterone con-511 centrations at parturition Stress of parturition 511 Age 511 A working hypothesis of the cause of 512 parturient paresis Prevention of parturient paresis by 512 dietary manipulation The calcium and phosphorus content 512 of the diet Low calcium diets prepartum 512 Acidic diets prepartum 513 Large oral doses of calcium at parturi-514 tion Prepartum administration of vitamin D 614 or its metabolites Feeding and Requirements 515 References 515