Choosing the right children's vitamin can be tricky, especially because medical consensus on the need for supplementation is mixed. Some pediatricians recommend giving your child a multivitamin daily in order to offer a safety net for nutritional deficiencies. Other pediatricians recommend supplementation only if the child has a poor diet, such as for children who primarily eat foods with little nutritional value or picky eaters.
Your decision to give your child a vitamin supplement should be discussed with your physician, but is ultimately your choice. Pediatricians agree that there is no harm in using vitamin supplements as long as you're not exceeding the daily recommended dose.
How Children Benefit from Vitamins
The greatest benefit that vitamin supplements offer children is that they provide a stable dose of vitamins each day, regardless of the nutritional content in a child's diet. While this isn't an excuse to feed your child a poor diet, it does make days when your meals' nutritional levels may not be at their highest a lot easier to stomach. It also ensures that picky eaters are able to get an array of necessary vitamins, even if these vitamins aren't present in their favorite foods.
Because vitamins are such an essential part of growth and development, giving your child a multivitamin can help to ensure that their growing bodies have what they need to properly function. For example, getting enough selenium and iodine ensure that the thyroid is able to function efficiently, staving off hypothyroidism and ensuring that growth isn't stunted. Vitamins A and B12 work to develop the brain, so ample amounts of these vitamins can ensure optimal neural functioning.
Best Children's Vitamin Brands
Multivitamins are the most popular vitamin supplementation option for kids, and there are quite a few great options available. To make taking vitamins more fun, try looking for brands with fun shapes or characters.
Recommended vitamins for infants include Gerber vitamin drops, Tri-Vi-Sol drops, or Poly-Vi-Sol drops. Recommended vitamins for children's multivitamins include Centrum chewables and Lil' Critters Gummy Vites. The key is that nutrients don't exceed recommended values, and that the vitamin doesn't contain aspartame, artificial colors, or trans fats.
Important Children's Vitamin Factors
When choosing a good children's multivitamin, there are several key ingredients to keep in mind. The following are essential for your child's growth and development.
- Calcium
Helps to build bone and teeth. Calcium also promotes the health of muscles and nerves.
- Vitamin A
Works with vision, immunity, and bone growth, as well as in ensuring the health of the cells. Vitamin A also plays a role in growing and maintaining healthy hair, skin, and nails.
- Vitamin E
Places a limit on free radical production, bolsters immunity, repairs DNA, and plays a role in metabolism.
- Iron
Contributes to hemoglobin and myoglobin production. Iron deficiency can cause anemia.
- Vitamin C
Works in the formation and repair of bones, tissue, and red blood cells. Assists in healing, bolsters the immune system, and assist in iron absorption.
- Zinc
Needed for enzyme digestion.
