Vitamins for a 15 Month Old

L.,

My son is 19 mos old and I have been giving him Michael's Pedia Vites for some time now. He eats a relatively nutritous diet (at least as much as a toddler does). But, I know that he doesn't always get everything he should from food. One day he seems to want to eat everything we put in front of him, and other days he seems to only pick at his food. The thing I like about these vitamins are that they are in liquid form, so I can put it in his juice or his milk, and he has no problems taking it.

V.

L.,
Because children sometimes are inconsistent in their consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, this poses a particular challenge for parents. This is because certain nutrients are absolutely essential for not only prevention of colds and viruses, but also increasingly necessary for proper brain development and learning ability. Therefore, experts recommend supplements with several nutrients that are too critical to be left to chance. Go to my website to get some information on children's nutrition. www.shaklee.net/alternativesolutions/prodnutchild.

M.
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NO! If they are getting the right food, they don't need them. Be careful, she may think they're candy and try to get into them. Good Luck!

L., at the same age we started giving a chewable vitamin to our son only when the Pediatrician suggested it after blood test revealed a need for more iron.

MOMS - FYI, WE FOUND A PROBLEM WITH CHEWABLES W/IRON. We were diligent brushers but when we gave our son chewables with iron we started seeing alarming dark spots (yes-most likely the iron supplement staining the molars) However, the chewables just seemed to stick in the nooks and crannies of his new little molars. It was REALLY alarming to see the darkening in my baby's teeth. We had him at the dentist when he turned 2. And the exam revealed staining but also "checking" which is the beginning of cavities. The base of those vitamins is sugar or starch(same thing when you add saliva). So we drew a conclusion that the vitamins were helping cause the problem. Now we get him a super swab of fluoride at the dentist every 3 to 6 months. And we researched and found a liquid vitamin at Rite Aid, CVS, etc... Little Critters/Pedia Essentials w/iron. We give it to him in watered down juice. We have halted the "checking" and no more alarming stains. Hope that helps you avoid the same problem! S.

Hi L.,

I am a registered dietitian, as well as a mom of a 2 yr old son and a 4 yr old son. The issue of giving vitamins to children, as well as adults, is always a subject of controversy, but I'll try to keep my answer brief! It wouldn't hurt to give your child one multivitamin and mineral a day. The typical American diet is probably more than adequate in most vitamins and minerals, and unfortunately, more than adequate in fat and calories! But I would not give more than what I mentioned - ONE multivitamin/mineral per day, and I give my kids one that is designed for kids. There are tons of different brands out there - my boys like the ones that look and taste like gummy bears. What you want to avoid is giving individual vitamins and minerals. For example, don't start giving additional dosages of vitamin E, or a separate dose of calcium. Vitamin A especially, can cause toxicity. All the fat-soluble vitamins, in fact, can cause toxicity: these are vitamins A,D,E, and K. Vitamin A toxicity can be fatal.
Remember, almost all the foods in the U.S. are already "spiked" with vitamins; for example, bread is enriched, cold breakfast cereals are spiked with numerous vitamins and minerals. I even noticed that the orange juice I've been buying for my kids is spiked with calcium! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is just an example that almost no one, especially a healthy child, needs to take more than one multivitamin/mineral supplement per day!

Hope this helps!
-J. Zimmerman
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We use the gummy kind (flinstones) but we didn't start until age 2 because that's what the bottle says. Also, they are a little harder to chew than toddler gummy snacks so you'll want to make sure your daughter has enough teeth and that you can trust that she won't choke.

L.,

Please ask your pediatrician/family practioner first. Does your daughter have her molars yet? If not, you might want to hold off on the chewable vitamins. I used Poly-Vy-Sol until my daughter got her molars. Be forwarned, it tastes horrible, so you should consider mixing it with a fruit sauce or juice. I also kept it in the fridge so the taste wouldn't be so pronounced. Otherwise, your daughter may refuse it and it will be like trying to give medicine to a cat.

If you go with a chewable, keep the vitamins out of reach so she can't get at them. Kids have died from iron poisoning because they ate the vitamins thinking they were candy.

I just had my son's two year check up appointment and asked if I should give him vitamins and she said as long as he eats good then she does not see a need for vitamins.

BTW best wishes for your upcoming arrival :)

My pedi recommended we give our picky-eater son vitamins starting at 18 months. We give him a Flintstone vitamin every evening. We also bought the PolySol liquid vitamins from Enfamil when he went through a stubborn phase and didn't want to take the Flintstones.

I would definitely check with your pediatrician first - a quick phone call should suffice.

We gave my DD the Poly-Vi-Sol infant liquid vitamin until she was 2 (my 1 year old is using it now), then switched to the First Flinstones vitamins for kids aged 2 & 3. When she turned 4 we moved to other vitamin types.

One caution - if you do get a vitamin, make sure to check the age/dosage requirements. I was surprised to see that most of the kids vitamins out there are dosed for 4 and up. We stuck with the First Flinstones because we didn't want to deal with the hassle of cutting vitamins in half for her every day.

Good luck!

Hi, I started giving my children vitamins as soon as they started drinking whole milk because I knew that they would not be getting close to the same nutrition that came in the formula. There are vitamins drops(a liquid, I can't remember the name. I gave my kids the one that had Iron in it and now that they are both older (3 years old and 21 months old), I give them Flintstones gummy vitamins.

I asked my son's pediatrician the same question because my 21 months old suddenly started disliking veggies, though he still has them sometimes and still eats a lot of fruits (which apparently are the same nutrition wise). So the pediatrician says that he recommends vitamins only if the child eats veggies or fruits less than once or twice a week or. Of course, he knows what I feed my son and knows it is a very balanced diet (which is hard to achieve having a toddler and bring pregnant again) but I make it a priority over other things. So I am not sure what you give your daughter. You'll have to kind of write down what you give her during a week and see if it really is pretty balanced and then see what she actually eats and see if you feel she gets enough of a combination of fruits and veggies and protein and carbs and all and see what you think. You can also always talk to her pediatrician. He said it is easier to give them vitamins after they turn 2 because then you can give them those Flinstone chewables so if you can avoid it until then, it's easier. If my son continues like this with the veggies, I'll start him on vitamins when he turns 2, but the doctor said he only recommends vitamins at this age to really really picky eaters. Good luck.

I give my 18 mo old Poly-Vi-Sol by Enfamil, my pediatrician says this was best. A girlfriend gave it to her kids till they were four & swears by it helping to keep her kids healthier during cold season

You really should ask your peditrician because he will know what is best for you child based on her health. When my son was little (he's 16 years old now), they had me give him vitamins. I now have a daughter (21-months) and the same doctor does not have me give vitamins. Both children were and are healthy.

I don't thing the vitamins will hurt a child but not only are they unneccesary sometimes too much of a good thing may really be too much (ie...too much iron will cause constipation).

If your child is typically eating a good diet then nothing else should be necesary. If they are lacking at times, you may just want to try to supplement with pediasure.

Hi, L. - I always gave my kids vitamins; liquid until they were old enough for chewables. All vitamins are not created equal, however, so you may want to do some research; i.e. natural over synthetic, etc. The latest scientific information points to the superiority of Oligofructose Complex for high solubility and free radical reduction. For more, please see melaleuca.com. :) N. B.

Hi L.,
Our pediatrician recommended using PolyViSol, which is a liquid vitamin for infants and toddlers. My daughter will take it most days. Some days she rejects it b/c it has iron in it which gives it a very strong taste. I checked the other children's vitamins on the market and they are not recommended for children under two.

You might want to try PolyViSol. It is available most places like Target, CVS, etc.

Absolutely! Good for you to make sure you are giving your child the very best. Most parents overlook giving their kids vitamins. I searched for a natural approach and Shaklee has the best kids vitamins I've found. Most over-the-counter vitamins are mostly sugar. One way to tell if you have a good vitamin is to bake it in the oven. Baking releases all the impurities. It will let you know exactly what is in it. Another test is to put it in vinegar. This will let you know how long it takes to dissolve in your system. Vinegar is pretty close to our stomach acid. It doesn't matter if you take vitamins if your body can't process it. My husband spent a few years researching vitamins so please feel free to email me with any questions. Also here is a link to Shaklee www.shaklee.net/natural-health Good luck!

Hi L.,

I use Melaleuca's vitamins for our kids. Listen to this news clip for more info on why I use them only...

http://www.kidk.com/news/27255954.html?video=YHI&t=a

If it doesn't work by clicking on it, try to copy and paste it to view it. And if that doesn't work, email me back and I will help get it to you.

I know what a difference supplementing with good vitamins makes in ourselves as well as our children's lives. It's so very important for ALL of us to supplement our diets no matter how good we think we are eating. But as you watch this ABC news clip, you will understand that there really is a big difference in which vitamins we should choose for our loved ones.

So before you decide which ones are best for your little lady, please listen above. Please let me know if you would like to try Melaleuca so that I can help you maximize your investment into your family's health.

Take Care,
N. SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 12, 7 & 2yrs old and married to Mr. Wonderful for almost 15yrs. We love to help families, just like ours, learn to shop, save and get healthy. Ask me how today!

Hi L.! My son eats one Flinstone vitamin. He doesn't really eat meat yet so he needs the extra iron. He has been taking vitamins since he was about 1 1/2.

C.

A good all natural would be much better than most store bought childrens vitamins, most because they are putting aspartame in the vitmans now.
Shaklee, Amway or just look up a whole food vitamin for children online.
God Bless

Since your daughter is so young, I would check with your pediatrician before giving her ANY medication (vitamins included). As long as she's eating a balanced diet, there's probably no need for extra vitamins.
I started giving my son chewable vitamins when he was about 3 years old, because he became a somewhat picky eater. Just be careful about which vitamins you choose. We were giving my son the gummy Flintstones vitamins and he ended up with 5 cavities, which his dentist blamed entirely on the "candy" vitamins (and we brushed his teeth 3x a day)! I haven't found a sugar free kids vitamin yet, but my son eats well now and our doctor says that vitamins are optional so we stopped giving them to him.
Hope that helps and good luck with your new baby!!

My son takes Flintstones with calcium because he's allergic to whey protein (so no dairy products). He drinks rice milk, but the pediatrician still recommends them. Next time you talk to the ped, ask, you can give ask at an appt with the new baby (congrats by the way). They won't hurt her, but may be unnecessary. Best of luck!!

It was at about this age that I started my son on Flinstones. My doctor recommended it because of low iron. She said that most children this age don't eat much meat so usually have low iron. She recommended Flinstones with iron. I give him half a tablet every other day.

I give my children vitamins, and I have been since they were about the age of your daughter. My children don't tolerate dairy well, and they pretty much hate it. Sooo...b/c spinach and broccoli don't typically appeal to them (I can't imagine why :) I give them calcium and a multi to fill in the gaps. Their diets vary and it is hit or miss. I use the COSTCO gummi vitamins. The kids love them, and they have just the right amount.

In an ideal world, you wouldn't need to give her any vitamins. However, if you feel that she isn't covering all her bases and eating superwell, you may want to consider it.

www.goodchoicesnow.com has a great childrens multi-vitamin it's all natural and organic and they taste great. They even come with a 180 day money back guarantee even if you use all of the product. You just slap the label included on the back of the invoice on the box with the bottle and drop it in the mail. They even pay for the return shipping.

She is WAY too little for vitamins. They usually can't have until they are 2. Even then, you can only give a 2 year old half a vitmain tablet of the childrens centrum vitamins. Don't worry about a weell balanced diet, she;ll be fine

My son's pediatrician said to start him on vitamins at age 2. Once she's 2 you can either give her half of a regular Flinstone vitamin (once a day) or you can give her a whole "My First Flinstone Vitamin" - for kids aged 2 and 3 - (once a day).

Hope this helps! :o)

HI there,

My daughter's doc gave me a liquid vitamin for her. It is called (RX Choice) Poly-Vitamin Drops.
I believe that they are the same as the prenatals they gave me during pregnancy, because they smell the same. They smell awful, but once my daughter got used to the vitamins, she loves taking them!
Talk to your daughter's doc to see what they recommend!
Good Luck!

L.,

I recommend you ask your pediatrician about the vitamins. My children are 4 years and 2 years old. Because I feed them a well balanced diet, they don't need vitamins. I would also recommend finding a sugar free brand. Also, be careful to do your research on all the vitamins you decide to give your child as some are so expensive that they are not worth the price just for a little health benefit.

BTW -- Congrats on your upcoming arrival.

Usually, the quality of grocery store vitamins is very low when it comes to absorption..you may as well be wasting your money.

Diet is always the best..however, most of our foods just aren't what they used to be...the national statistic is that only about 1% of kids even get the RDA of fruits and veges every day! I would hope it is a little better when they are still at home, but once they go to school the statistic is there.

I use Arbonne's kids hybrids starting at age 2. They are in powder form that you can dilute in a 6 oz water bottle or juice. And you can freeze them into little popsicles for the little ones.

They are very high quality and meet USP dissintigration standards for absorption...something most grocery store brands won't even mention because it is not mandatory that they fulfill this requirement. The vitamin industry is really very unregulated. If you look at the ingredient label on the Arbonne vitamins, the vitamins and nutrients come from whole fruits and veges such as carrots, beets, kale, etc. They are also full of antioxidents and other things that benefit kids. They are also vegan certified.

You can get 35% off of the retail. Of course I am a VP with Arbonne, but I also give this product to my own children age 5 and 6. I used to be a RN and did triage with a pediatric practice...just to let you know I'm not in this just for the business, but because I truly believe in the benefits of these products for my kids. If you know an Arbonne rep, go talk to them about them or contact me...I can send you a sample to try.

Nutrition is not what it used to be. For example, the conventional spinach today has 1/50th the nutritional value it did 50 years ago because of using fertilizers and pesticides instead of trying to strengthen the plant with vitamins and minerals. You basically just get water in the shape of a fruit/vegetable. Also microwaving turns food into a paste, kills enzymes, and a host of other things. Your best bet is to get nutrition from raw organic produce. An 8 oz. serving of delicious blended raw organic carrot/apple/banana or whatever combination you like is better than any supplement on the shelves. Most of the vitamin supplements you take aren't absorbed into the body anyway, so you would need to pay decent money for one that assimilates into the body. I do however give my daughter enzyme and vitamin supplements from Young Living occasionally since they have the maximum absorbtion rate and other goodies in them since they helped me.

I would absolutely ask her doctor first. My 3 year old has been taking flinstones now for awhile, due to a borderline blood iron test that is hereditary in my family. my 18 month old doesn't need them. if your daughter eats a balanced diet, with plenty of veggies, and has good energy and sleep patterns, there shouldn't be a need for vitamins unless she has a specific issue that you're targeting. i would always advice consulting with your pediatrician (just be sure that it's one that you wholly trust). good luck!

Hi L.,

The Journal of American Medical Association came out with an article in 2002 that stated every adult on the face of the planet should be on a multivitamin. Even if we eat well, we still cannot get what we need out of our food for many reasons. So what makes us think our kids will?!

If you REALLY want to find the best for your kids, do a good bit of research on vitamins. There is a great book, The Comparative Guide To Children's Nutritionals, by Lyle MacWilliam. It compares vitamins on retail shelves as well as network marketing companies, and shows you whether they really are as good as they say they are.

I have four kids - my oldest had some health issues - so it was very important for me to find the best of the best. My research led me to USANA Health Sciences. http://www.usana.com will bring you to their website.

Should you choose to trust your health to their company, please feel free to email me so I can show you how to get the right prices for your family. USANA has a great customer program that allows you to buy things for below wholesale (and no, there is no monthly obligation or specific amount you must buy).

S.

About me - SAHM of 4 - 3 boys, 8,4,and 3; and 1 girl, 11 months old

I am also thinking about giving my 3 1/2 year old vitamins. She does eat very well--lots of veggies, pastas, milk, but not too much meat or protein. The doctor has told me it is not necessary, but I will be looking at the responses you get as well.

Have a great day!