It can be challenging to make sure your child eats a well-balanced diet, especially if they’re a fussy eater. However, it’s important for children to get the right amount of vitamins and minerals to ensure proper growth and health. In some cases, supplementation may be necessary to ensure they get their daily dietary requirements of certain nutrients.
But, with a wide assortment of vitamin supplements available, which ones do they really need?
Our pediatricians share the 12 vitamins they give their kids for optimal health.
Supplement with vitamin D
Breastfeeding provides babies with plenty of health benefits, but an adequate amount of vitamin D isn’t one of them. So you’ll need to provide supplementation for your little one to ensure he gets enough. “All breastfed infants should have vitamin D supplementation, 400 IU per day, to support bone health,” says Natasha Burgert, MD, a pediatrician in Kansas City, Missouri. It is most necessary while exclusively breastfeeding since baby formula is fortified.
While it’s important for breastfed babies, it’s also key for kids—especially as we slather on the sunscreen to protect their skin and keep them from manufacturing the “sunshine vitamin” in their own skin. Research links vitamin D levels with bone and muscle health—and researchers have found associations between vitamin D deficiency and possible health issues like heart disease, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. (Watch out for the signs you’re not getting enough vitamin D.)
Iron might be necessary
“Nearing four to six months of age, you may need to add daily iron support as the iron levels naturally drop in breast milk near the six-month mark,” Dr. Burgert. “All children should be checked for anemia caused by insufficient iron levels as they near their first birthday. If there is evidence—through lab work or diet history—that a child is iron deficient, doctors recommend additional iron supplementation through age two.” Feed your baby these iron-rich foods to help reduce the chance of deficiency.