Asia Pacific Daily Hannah
During the epidemic, many people advocated supplementing multivitamins, but this is not the case. Experts say that in general, children don't need to take multivitamins.
Eric Ball, a pediatrician in Orange County, California, believes that children should "get all the vitamins and minerals they need from food."
Hanane Dahoui, a pediatrician and medical director of pediatrics at Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando Health, Fla., agrees that giving children vitamins unnecessarily can actually be problematic. Taking large amounts of vitamins such as vitamins A, C, or D may cause nausea, rashes, headaches, and even more serious side effects in children.
Hanane Dahoui points out that the amount of food a child needs to eat may be much smaller than imagined. Many common foods, such as cereal, milk and bread, are rich in important nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins and iron. Children need all their vitamins and minerals from food every day as their bodies grow.
However, in some cases, it may make sense to supplement with a multivitamin, and experts suggest that children with food allergies or other restricted food types sometimes need to take vitamins to make up for the nutrients they cannot eat. For example, if a child is lactose intolerant, they may not be getting enough calcium or vitamin D in their diet; children on a vegan diet are potentially at risk for iron and B12 deficiencies.
When giving vitamin supplements to children, be sure to follow the recommended dosage. "Overtaking vitamins can be dangerous," says Dahoui. "Food is always healthier than vitamin supplements," so try to adjust your child's diet whenever possible for best results.
(Source: APD News)
