Multivitamins For Your Child
The belief of most parents is that children are
eating a fairly healthy diet and if not they give up
and throw their hand up in the air. Parents then
provide multivitamins. Now that they come in
gumballs, gummi candies, cute animals, and
cartoon character shapes, children think they are
candy and giving vitamins is not a bad thing.
If they are within a child¡¯s reach it is a serious
problem because they could be taking them
without your knowledge. At any suspicion that
your child has taken too many call Poison Control
immediately and get them to an emergency
facility. Your child could become seriously ill or die
from an overdose of a multivitamin with iron in it.
It is vital to keep all manner of medication out of
the reach of your children. For the most part
children get their vitamins from their diet but if you
think they need them generic multivitamins are
fine. If your child¡¯s special needs are an allergy to
dairy products or that they won¡¯t eat them, the
calcium must come from other sources.
Consulting with your child¡¯s pediatrician will
benefit your child. Even though your child¡¯s diet
may not have been great this week all that is
needed is one vitamin a day. If you get too much
of one vitamin it could prevent others from being
absorbed by the body.
If your child for example gets an excess of calcium
it could prevent the absorption of iron and other
vitamins. Children¡¯s food choices are not always
healthy so you can expect to be giving your child
vitamins well into their teens. Before you consider
buying vitamins know that opinions vary regarding
vitamins with iron for children.
One premise is that, in fact, you be giving vitamins
with iron. Vitamins with iron says another school
of thought, under no circumstances should be
given vitamins with iron. As an infant, it was my
experience, that my child was iron deficient.
My child¡¯s doctor put him on iron fortified vitamins
and he¡¯s now healthy but always check with your
doctor on this. Hemochromatosis is a disease
caused by too much iron in the blood. The body
can no longer utilize the iron and it is not washed
out of the body easily. It may cause very serious
health issues and even death.
An important part of your child¡¯s diet is calcium
that
helps to build strong bones and muscles.
Calcium is a mineral. Eating ice cream, cheese,
and yogurt as well as drinking milk will usually
provide all the calcium your child needs from their
diet. There are people who don¡¯t like dairy
products and some who are allergic to them.
Helping children get what they need is easy when
you give them calcium fortified juices, cereals, and
vitamins. Many children get sufficient fluoride from
treated tap water and bottled war or using tooth
paste. Do not administer fluoride supplements to
your child without first checking with his doctor.
Too much fluoride might permanently stain your
child¡¯s teeth. This will defeat totally the purpose of
treating water and using fluoridated toothpaste.
An eyedropper is used to administer liquid infant
multivitamins. These drops usually have vitamins
A, C, and D as well as added iron in them.
They might contain other vitamins and minerals
such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B-
12. Vitamins for children are available in chewable
forms such as cartoon characters and animals.
They now come in gummi candy and gumballs
forms.
If your child gives you difficulty with taking his
vitamins, try getting him the gumballs or the
gummi candy vitamins. Never leave your child
unsupervised when s/he is taking his vitamins. My
own child is given his vitamins rather than allow
him to take them on his own. He might take it or
not or he could take way too many.
Although vitamins for children can be a good thing,
too much of a good thing could be fatal. It is vital
that they are kept out of the reach of children.
Giving your child vitamins may offset some of the
effects of not always eating right.
Your child¡¯s diet should not be adjusted without
discussing it with his pediatrician, it¡¯s better to be
safe than sorry. Vitamins with fun shapes are fine
but because your child could think they are
¡®candy¡¯, they should be in a locked cabinet or kept
well out of reach.
About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Vitamin C and Herbal Supplements, and more! http://www.1st-vitamins-n-supplements.com
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