The only kids who need vitamins (spoiler alert: there aren ’t many)

As a pediatrician, I get a lot of questions whether their children should take a multivitamin or other vitamin supplement. Parents think they will make their children healthier — and some think they will make them eat more (they don’t, sorry). Since our bodies need different vitamins to be healthy, they ask, Should I give my child a multivitamin? Not necessarily, actually. It turns out that most children don’t need them, making them an expensive waste of money. They can also be dangerous if children take too many, something that is very possible given that most chewable multivitamins for children taste like candy. And giving a vitamin can give families a false sense of security that their child is getting everything they need — when they aren’t. Here’s a really important point: the best way to get vitamins is not from a pill but from food. The body digests them better. And indeed, if your child is eating a varied diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fortified dairy or dairy substitutes, meat and seafood, chances are they are getting everything they need. That varied diet is always the goal — and always best. No? OK, but should some children take supplemental vitamins? Yes. There are some groups of children that can’t get all the vitamins they need from their diet. Breastfed babies. Formula is fortified with Vitamin D, which is important for bone growth and other body processes. Breast milk is not. Now, breast milk is truly the perfect food fo...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Ask the Expert Health & Wellness Claire McCarthy vitamins Source Type: news