Do Kids Need to Take Vitamins and Supplements?

Ensuring children receive all the essential nutrients they need to grow and thrive can be a challenge, even with the most balanced diet. Busy schedules, picky eating habits and varying nutritional needs often leave gaps that food alone may not fill. This is where vitamins and supplements can play a supportive role, providing an extra boost to help kids maintain optimal health.

By addressing potential deficiencies, these supplements can serve as a reliable way to ensure children are equipped to meet their developmental milestones, stay energized and build strong immune systems—setting the foundation for a healthy future.

Here, Dr. Mark Corkins, division chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, offers parent helpful advice surrounding the appropriate use of vitamins and supplements in a child’s growing years.

Vitamins: A Vital Component of Health

Vitamins, such as vitamin A and vitamin D, are nutrients that keep our bodies functioning. These nutrients are critical for everyday health, as deficiencies can disrupt how the body works. For children, vitamins are even more crucial because they support the development of organs, tissues and the brain—which continues growing until around age 21.

A lack of nutrients during these formative years could impact overall growth and potential. As caregivers, ensuring kids receive proper nutrition is not only about helping them thrive but also preparing them to be their healthiest for the future—perhaps even for the day when they take care of us.

“If we ate a perfect diet, in perfect amounts, at perfect times, we wouldn't need any supplements,” states Dr. Corkins. “I’ll give you an example. The Corkins household can be chaotic sometimes. We are always going, moving, doing something, and it pains me to admit that even as a gastroenterologist who talks and learns and studies nutrition, I don't eat perfectly. Because of that, supplements can help make up the gap. It's one of those things, in a perfect world, you wouldn't need them. But in reality, we probably do.”

Which Nutrients Are Most Important?

The two most common nutrient deficiencies in children are iron and vitamin D, both critical for healthy growth and development. Iron is the most prevalent deficiency worldwide and is essential for producing hemoglobin, which enables red blood cells to carry oxygen. Without enough iron, children may develop anemia, leading to low energy and fatigue. While iron is found in vegetables, the most available sources are lean meats, which some families avoid, making deficiency more likely.

Vitamin D is equally crucial, as it supports the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for building strong bones and teeth. Remarkably, 40% of a person’s lifetime skeletal mass is formed by age 16, underscoring the importance of sufficient vitamin D during childhood. Without it, children risk developing weak bones and poor dental health that can affect them for life.

Probiotics: Yay or Nay?

Probiotics are live bacteria designed to improve gut health by influencing the balance of the gut's natural flora – the microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, that live in the gut. The bacteria in the colon are shaped by factors like diet, with different foods promoting different types of flora. The concept of probiotics, meaning "for health," originated over a century ago with the idea that certain diets foster healthier gut flora and overall well-being.

“Do we need a probiotic? Well, how healthy is your gut and how healthy is your diet? One of the things a lot of people use probiotics for is when they get put on antibiotics, which disrupts flora,” explains Dr. Corkins. “Certainly, there's great literature about using it when you're getting an antibiotic to help keep your flora intact and keep you from getting into some of the antibiotic-associated difficulties.”

Age-Specific Guidelines: A Comprehensive View

In regards to age-specific guidelines for vitamins and supplements, Dr. Corkins outlines the following.

• Infants: Vitamin D drops are recommended from birth to compensate for limited sun exposure, which reduces natural vitamin D production. As rapid growth occurs, iron becomes essential. When starting solid foods at 4-6 months, include iron-rich foods or supplements to support increased blood volume during this period.
• Toddlers and Preschoolers: General supplements can be considered based on dietary needs to fill any gaps in their nutrition.
• School-Age Children: Continue general supplements as needed, ensuring they maintain balanced nutrition during growth and development.
• Teenagers: Adolescent females are at high risk for iron deficiency due to dietary habits and menstrual blood loss. A multivitamin with iron is especially important for this group to address these concerns. For all teens, more adult-type supplements may be introduced, depending on their needs and diet.

Ultimately, though, Corkins’ expert advice to parents is to not get overly stressed about falling short with your child’s nutrition intake. “Do the best you can. As a parent and as a doctor, I will tell you, you strive to do your best with your kids. And if your kids don't eat a perfect diet, it's not a failure. That's why they develop supplements,” he assures.