With the kids back in school, the chances of your little one catching a cold or flu is greatly increased. To help keep their immune system up, many mums invest in a multivitamin, especially if their little one won’t eat certain foods.
Here’s what you need to know:
What to give them
If you do decide to go down the route of giving your child a multivitamin, make sure it is one that is formulated especially for children. When you look at the back of the packet, make sure it only provides less or equal to 100% of RDA.
Types of vitamin tablets
There are a number of different types of vitamins available, each with different functions. Some provide an all round multivitamin, others are just for iron, vitamin C, Omega fatty acids, fibre or vitamin D, which can get a little confusing for mums when figuring out what to give their little one. Talk to your GP about which areas you feel your child is decifient in or at all.
What each one does
- Vitamin D - Vitamin D is made from the sun so obviously with our lack of it here your little one might be deficient. However, there are a number of cereals available which are fortified in the vitamin that can make up for any lack of sunlight. Kids need about 800IU a day.
- Calcium - Calcium is needed for healthy bone growth and can help prevent osteoporosis in later life. While it is widely available in dairy products, some kids can be deficient due to a dislike of dairy food or allergies. Big kids aged from four to eight need 1,000mg a day.
- Omega-3 - Omega-3 is present in fish oils and is important for healthy brain development. Kids can easily be deficient in it, especially if they don’t eat fish but it is also available in fortified eggs, nuts and seeds. Kids aged between four and eight need 800mg a day.
- Vitamin C - Vitamin C helps improve the absorption of iron and is needed for a healthy immune system which will help prevent against illnesses. A child aged between four and eight needs 25mg a day.
Vitamin safety
Make sure you only give your child the recommended daily dose, as they can overdose on them. Keep them out of the reach and sight of kids as most come in appealing packets and can look like sweets.
