Does my child need a vitamin or mineral supplement?

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Does my child need a vitamin and mineral supplement?

Your Paediatric Dietitian may recommend giving your child a multivitamin and mineral supplement if they are unlikely to be getting all the vitamins and minerals they need for good health from their diet alone. This can be more commonwhen:

• Your child has a very restricted diet e.g. eats less than 20 foods.
• Your child prefers to only eat foods from one food group.
• Your child has been diagnosed with vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies bya Doctor.

Which one to use?

There are more than 100 ‘over the counter’ vitamin and mineral supplements for children available in Ireland today. Multivitamin and mineral supplements come in different preparations; powder, capsule, tonic or jelly. Your choice will be influenced by which texture your child is willing to take. 

• Please only use the one that is recommended for your child by your Dietitian, Doctor or Pharmacist.
• Each product has different vitamin and minerals and different strengths, so it’s important to use one that is age appropriate and contains the vitamin and mineral that is missing in your child’s diet. 
• Do not take more than one multivitamin supplement without medical/dietetic advice as there could be duplication of vitamins across both. 
• In some cases it may be necessary to take two products individually; example iron & calcium which is safe to do so.

What if my child has not been seen by a dietitian or medical professional?  

• If your child has not been assessed by a dietitian or a doctor but you are concerned about your child’s diet you may wish to use a generic age appropriate multivitamin tonic/powder/capsule/jelly. 
• Please ensure that it does not exceed 100% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for any vitamin or mineral. Your pharmacist will be able to assist you with this and there are a good number of options available.

Cannot find a vitamin and mineral supplement my child will take?

• It is normal for a child to refuse vitamin & mineral supplements at the beginning.
• Try not to give up, offer them each day, ideally at the same time e.g. with breakfast.
• It may take 10-20 refusals before a child will accept the supplement, so keep going and persevere.
• Have a ‘rule’ about taking it and offer a reward immediately afterwards.
• Allow a preferred drink or food immediately after.
• Do not hide the supplement in the food. 
• Brush teeth after taking liquid supplements to prevent staining.
• If your child is very sensitive to the taste of vitamin and mineral supplements consider trying drops or dissolvable supplements in their drink e.g. masked with sugar free squash.
• Some children may be more likely to take it as a medicine for example as a syrup if given in a 5-10ml syringe.
• Every second day may be a good compromise if it’s very difficult to introduce.

Safety

Keep vitamin and mineral supplement locked away, to prevent overdose which could have serious health effects.

Check storage instructions, best before date and how long they are safe to use once opened. 

For further advice about choosing the right multivitamin and mineral 
supplement for your child, or if you have any concerns please contact your 
Dietitian, GP or local Pharmacist.

Does_my_child_need_a_vitamin_and_mineral_supplement.pdf