“I always prefer a child to get their nutrition through whole foods, fruits, and vegetables,” says Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH, a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. “However, I know there are instances where supplementation is necessary.” Such instances include: extremely picky eaters, children who are not growing well, children who follow strict vegan diets, or children who have dietary restrictions due to allergies. If your child falls into any of the above categories, a multivitamin may help fill nutritional gaps and ensure they are meeting their nutrition needs. When looking to find the best supplement for your child and family, there are several things to consider, including quality and safety, ingredients, key nutrients, and dosing. In order to recommend the best children’s vitamins on the market, our pediatric dietitian utilized the research, her experience working as a pediatric dietitian, and consulted with trusted pediatric medical professionals,
Who May or May Not Benefit from a Multivitamin
Before you add a multivitamin to your child’s daily routine, be sure to get the OK from a healthcare provider. Megadoses of specific vitamins can be harmful—this is why it is critical to ensure the one you choose is formulated for kids and dosed appropriately. According to the National Center of Health Statistics at the CDC, approximately one-third of children in the United States are consuming vitamin and mineral supplements, most often in the form of a multivitamin. These supplements can help fill nutrition gaps for children that need them most, but they also have the potential to lead to overconsumption of certain nutrients. It is important to remember that children receiving a nutrient-rich, well-balanced diet usually do not need additional vitamin supplementation. Children with limited diets: Children who follow restrictive diets to manage health conditions or for ethical reasons and children who tend to be very selective with what they are comfortable eating are at a much higher risk for missing out on key nutrients to support growth and development. These children may benefit from multivitamin supplements. Individual nutrient supplementation: Some children may not need a multivitamin and may instead benefit from individual vitamin supplements. For example, children who do not consume four 8-ounce servings of vitamin D fortified milk or fortified dairy alternatives may need to supplement with vitamin D. Additionally, children who follow well-balanced vegan diets will, at minimum, need to supplement with vitamin B12 but may not need a full multivitamin. SmartyPants Kids Formula Daily Multivitamin is a tasty, gummy multivitamin that is both NSF certified and ConsumerLab.com approved, making it a trusted choice. It contains 15 essential nutrients, including vitamin D3 and K for bone health and B12, omega-3 fatty acids, and choline for cognitive development. While SmartyPants Multivitamins do contain 5 grams of added sugar per serving, many parents and healthcare providers prefer the organic cane sugar in SmartyPants to artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup. For children with allergies, these are a great option as they are free from milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, gluten, and wheat. In addition, they are also free of synthetic colors and flavors. Like most multivitamins, these do not contain iron or calcium, so you will need to ensure your child is receiving adequate iron and calcium for their age. Designed for children ages 4 and older, the recommended dose is four gummies per day. Price at time of publication: $15 ($0.50 per serving) If you do choose a gummy vitamin, Austein adds, “The faster we can remove these from the teeth the better. Rinsing with water, gently brushing or picking them out of the grooves would be beneficial.” Ritual has covered their bases with zinc, vitamin D3, and vitamin C for immune support; choline and omega-3 fatty acids for brain health; vitamins D and K for growing bones, and a fiber/prebiotic blend. They did, however, leave out iron and calcium, so take note if your child needs to supplement these minerals. If you are concerned about your child’s sugar intake, these sugar-free gummies are sweetened with monk fruit, a naturally-derived sweetener that’s less sweet than other alternative sweeteners. However, monk fruit has a distinct flavor and may not be as palatable for some children. Suitable for kids ages 4 and up, the gummies are non-GMO, free of artificial colorants, synthetic fillers, and third-party tested for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants. Price at time of publication: $33 ($1.10 per serving) for monthly subscription “Dental cavities are the number one chronic childhood illness so having strong more resistant teeth, good home care, a well balanced diet and routine dental visits are imperative to oral and overall health.” He adds, “I am a big believer in fluoride. At the proper doses the health benefits are known to be significant.” So you may want to consider a fluoride-containing toothpaste or rinse for your child to strengthen tooth enamel. Free of added sugars, sweeteners, and major allergens, Llama Naturals provides 13 key nutrients hitting on major players, including Vitamins D3, K, and B12. If you or your child is practicing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, be sure to assess total iron and calcium intake to ensure your child is meeting their needs, as neither is included in this multivitamin. Designed for children ages 4 and older, the recommended dose is two gummies per day. All products are third-party tested for a variety of factors such as vitamin levels, heavy metal content, yeast, mold, and other microbes. Price at time of publication: $25 ($0.42 to $0.83 per serving) While the product is sugar-free, it does contain sugar alcohols xylitol and mannitol, which may cause stomach upset, especially when consumed in large amounts. It is also sweetened with monk fruit, a high intensity sugar-free sweetener with a distinct flavor. Designed for children ages 4 and older, the recommended dose is two tablets per day. Price at time of publication: $26 ($0.22 to $0.87 per serving) It may be helpful to note that this product contains five grams of added sugar (in the form of fructose) per two teaspoon serving. While no iron is included, it does contain a very small amount of calcium (55 milligrams). This product is certified gluten-free by NSF and developed by a pediatrician. However, it is not third party certified to ensure it contains what it says it contains. While the liquid form does allow for earlier introduction if necessary, we encourage you to speak with a healthcare provider to ensure need and accurate dosing before starting. The recommended dose is 1 teaspoon daily for 6-12 months, 1-2 teaspoons daily for 1-3 years, and 2-3 teaspoons daily for 4 years and up. Price at time of publication: $17 ($0.71 per serving) Made from a variety of fresh, raw whole foods, the tablets are free of sweeteners, flavorings, and food colorings. These pure, vegetarian supplements are ideal for parents who are looking to boost the overall nutrition of their child’s vegan or vegetarian diet without a ton of extra sugar and ingredients. As always, it’s important to check out the nutrition label to ensure that a supplement is providing adequate nutrition for your child. Note that this vitamin and mineral supplement provides a wide variety of superior-quality nutrients but tends to contain lower amounts of each nutrient than comparable products. We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products. We prioritize products that are third-party tested and certified by one of three independent, third party certifiers: USP, NSF, or ConsumerLab.com. It’s important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.
What to Look For
Third-Party Testing
Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested to ensure they contain what they say they contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk, common contaminants. However, it’s important to note:
Form
Vitamin and mineral supplements come in a variety of different forms, including gummies, chewable tablets, liquids, and even powders. Choosing the best form for your child is almost equally as important as choosing the right nutrients and dosing. If your child won’t take it, what’s the point? If they don’t like food sticking to their teeth or have trouble chewing a gummy, consider finding a supplement that is a liquid or powder instead.
Ingredients & Potential Interactions
It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications your child is taking. Ideally, a healthcare provider makes a vitamin and mineral supplement recommendation based on a child’s individual needs. “I work with families to best understand what their child may be missing in their daily intake and formulate my recommendation based on those findings. Key nutrients in question usually include vitamin D and iron. Sometimes we see a need for vitamin B12 if the child eats little to no meat,” says Olivia Mayer, RD, CSP, IBCLC, a Clinical Dietitian at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. If you do not have specific nutrient recommendations from a healthcare provider, it is important to know what nutrients to look for that might be inadequate in your child’s diet. Key nutrients to pay close attention to include: vitamin D3, vitamin A, vitamin C, B-vitamins, vitamin K, zinc, and choline. If your child is following a vegetarian or vegan diet, other nutrients to think about would be iron, vitamin B12, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Calcium and iron are two minerals that are important for growing bodies. However, they are often left off ingredient lists when children’s multivitamins are formulated. There are a couple of reasons for this. Calcium is a large mineral, therefore, if included in the multivitamin at the recommended daily amount for children, the multivitamin would be quite large. Calcium also tends to inhibit absorption of other minerals such as iron when packaged together, another reason you are less likely to find calcium included in your child’s multivitamin. Food is the best way to get calcium. To ensure your child is meeting their daily calcium needs, include high calcium foods in your child’s daily intake such as milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green vegetables as well as calcium-fortified fruit juices and dairy alternatives. Iron deficiency can occur in young children and is something your pediatrician is likely monitoring. Some children’s multivitamins do contain iron, while some do not. Children need anywhere from 7- 15 milligrams of iron daily to meet their needs, depending on age. Iron is naturally found in many foods and is also added to some fortified foods. Lean meat, seafood and poultry are your best iron sources. You can also find iron in fortified cereals, beans and leafy green vegetables. If your child were to be consuming iron-rich foods as well as an iron-containing supplement, too much iron can cause constipation and other gastrointestinal issues. Iron supplements are generally only recommended for children not meeting their iron needs by food alone. It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications your child is taking. You may want to opt for formulas with limited or no added sugars and no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavorings, or preservatives.
Children’s Vitamins Dosage
Consider your child’s age when selecting the best supplement for them. Be aware that some products are formulated for toddlers, while others are for older children and teens. Read ingredient labels, and look for products that do not exceed 100% of the daily value of individual vitamins and minerals, as more is not always better. Follow the age guidelines outlined on the product packaging, and speak with a healthcare provider to ensure that the product and dosage are appropriate to meet your child’s needs.
How Much is Too Much?
There is no benefit to getting excess amounts of any vitamin or mineral. In fact, in certain situations, it can even be dangerous. Some vitamins, such as the fat-soluble vitamins A and D, may be harmful if they are over-consumed, as these are stored in body tissue. Some minerals, including zinc and iron, can also be harmful in high doses. A few important takeaways when selecting a supplement is to ensure the product formulation is age-appropriate, that any and all supplements are stored out of reach of children, and that you follow dosing instructions as outlined on the product label. Be sure that children do not view gummy vitamins as candy which may cause them to consume more than the recommended amount. Experts recommend waiting until your child is 4 years old to start giving a multivitamin supplement. If a healthcare provider recommends a multivitamin due to picky eating, growth concerns, or dietary guidance, be sure to choose one that is designed for your child’s age group and does not provide more than 100% of the Daily Value of vitamins and minerals. In addition, keep multivitamins out of your child’s reach, and make it clear that they are not candy.
