The basic source of minerals and vitamins for children is a varied, healthy diet. It is in it that everything that the baby needs to function properly should be located. If the child is healthy and eats normally, additional supplementation will not be necessary. So when should you give your child vitamins?
There are a few instances where a child will require certain vitamins. Here they are:
- Vitamin D. According to statistics, many Polish children have low levels of this vitamin in their blood. This is especially true after infancy. Everything has to do mainly with our climate and the latitude in which we live. There are relatively few sunny days throughout the year, and children often eat too little dairy products (also a source of vitamin D). That is why it is recommended to give vitamin D to children, regardless of age, from autumn to spring (the dose is determined by the doctor).
- The problem with some. If the child does not eat normally, is reluctant to eat, for example, fruit or vegetables, is limited to only a few products – additional supplementation will be needed. Of course, it would be better to overcome such reluctance over time, but until then it is recommended to administer vitamin preparations in the autumn and winter, when the child is exposed to various types of infections and weakened immunity.
- When you are breastfeeding. Infants may also need additional vitamin supplements. Mother’s milk contains most of the vitamins, but not all of them – if the child is not additionally fed with milk mixtures, the child may lack vitamin D (prevents rickets) and vitamin K (prevents hemorrhagic disease of the newborn and is involved in blood clotting). When the mother did not take vitamin D3 in the third trimester, the baby should receive it from the first days of life, when she took it – from the third week of life.
- A child with anemia. Anemia is diagnosed by blood tests, but you can recognize it by: after pale skin and a tendency to get tired quickly. Premature babies and low birth weight babies are usually the most at risk. It also often affects children with iron deficiency and those who have a diet low in this element.
- Poor immunity. Some children get infections frequently, which may be related to a weakened immune system. Immunity usually declines in early spring and autumn-winter. It happens that it decreases during greater stress, e.g. starting attending kindergarten. Preparations with vitamins C, B, A, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium and omega-3 acids will be the best to strengthen the immune system.