That children are eating a healthy diet is most parentsĄ¯ belief
and if not they throw their hand up in the air and give up. They
then tend to give their children multivitamins. This is not a
bad thing however, many children think vitamins are candy,
especially now that they come in gum balls, gummi shapes, and
cute animal and cartoon characters.
This is a very serious issue because if they are within
childrenĄ¯s reach they could be Ą®sneakingĄ¯ them without you
knowing it. Call Poison Control immediately and get your child
to an emergency room immediately, if you even think your child
may have taken too many. The result of an overdose of
multivitamins with iron could make your child very seriously ill
or worse.
It is absolutely crucial that any and all manner of medications
be kept out of the reach of children. Children get most of their
vitamins from their diets but if you think they need them,
generic multivitamins are fine. Calcium must be gotten from
other sources which benefits your child if they have special
needs such as allergies to dairy foods or a strong dislike for
them.
Get advice from your childĄ¯s pediatrician. Do not give your
child more than one vitamin daily even is your childĄ¯s diet has
been bad one week. An excess of any one vitamin could block the
absorption of others in the body. If your child gets too much
calcium for example, it could prevent vitamins such as iron from
being absorbed.
Because many children will not make great choices you can expect
to be giving your child vitamins well into their teens. Know
before buying vitamins that there are varying opinions about
vitamins with iron for children. You should be giving vitamins
with iron which is one school of thought.
Under no circumstance says another school of thought, should
vitamins with iron be given to children. My own child, in
infancy showed signs of low iron in infancy. Always check with
your doctor but my childĄ¯s doctor put him on iron fortified
vitamins and he is very healthy now.
Hemochromatosis is a disease that is caused by too much iron in
the blood. The iron is not washed out of the body easily and the
body is unable to use the iron. It can cause serious health
problems and is almost always a fatal disease. A very important
part of your childĄ¯s diet is calcium which helps them to build
strong bones and muscles. Calcium is a mineral. Children can get
enough calcium from their diets if they eat yogurt, cheese, and
ice cream or if they drink milk. There are some who are allergic
to dairy products or who donĄ¯t like them. Some do not like
dairy products, still others are allergic to them. You can help
these children get their needs met by giving them calcium
fortified juices, cereals and vitamins.
Children for the most part get enough fluoride from drinking
fluoride treated water or bottled water with fluoride, and/or
toothpaste. Check with your doctor before giving any fluoride
supplement to your child. Fluoride in excess could permanently
stain your childĄ¯s teeth.
The purpose of treating water and using toothpaste with fluoride
to protect your childĄ¯s teeth, is defeated. Multivitamins meant
for infants are typically available in liquid form and given
with an eyedropper. These drops contain vitamins A, C, and D and
my have added iron. Other vitamins and minerals may be in the
drops such as riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B-12.
ChildrenĄ¯s vitamins also come in chewable forms and in the
shapes of cartoon characters or animals. Gumball and gummi candy
vitamins are now available. If you child gives you difficulty in
taking vitamins, try giving them his favorite character or in
gumball form. Always supervise your child when he takes vitamins.
Personally, I myself give my son his vitamins rather than
allowing him to do it on his own. He either might not take it or
he might take too many. Too much of a good thing can be fatal
but vitamins for children can be good thing. They should be kept
out of childrenĄ¯s reach. Like a lot of children yours might not
always eat what is right and giving him vitamins might offset
some of that.
Check with your pediatrician before making adjustments to your
childĄ¯s diet, itĄ¯s always best to err on the side of caution.
Fun vitamin shapes are fine but your child could think they are
Ą®candyĄ¯; they should be kept out of the reach or locked away
in a cabinet.
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
