Reduce Risk of Common Health Concerns in Kids with Children’s Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D3 is one of the most beneficial nutrients for maintaining good health in children and found in the top brands of children’s vitamin D supplements. Derived from 7-dehyrocholesterol, vitamin D3 helps control phosphorus, calcium, bone metabolism and neuromuscular function.

Interestingly, vitamin D is the only vitamin the body manufactures from sunlight. However, with children’s indoor lifestyle and the common use of sunscreens due to concerns of skin cancer, countless children are deficient in this important bone building and immune supporting vitamin. Many studies have been conducted to show a link between vitamin D3 deficiency and a vast array of health conditions including depression, back pain, ADHD, autism, cancer, rickets, osteoporosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration.

A Simple Solution: Vitamin D Supplements for Kids
While obtaining enough vitamin D is possible through diet and sun exposure, most children are deficient to some extent. An easy way for your child to get enough of this vitamin to support long-term good health is to take children’s vitamin D supplements. With a single 500 IU chewable of vitamin D3, children can receive 125% of the daily value based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

For children with certain health conditions or who are significantly deficient in the vitamin, larger quantities of children’s vitamin D supplements may be suggested. It’s important to discuss any type of supplementation with your child’s pediatrician.

What Brand to Choose?
There are many brands of vitamin D supplements for kids on the market. However, they are not all equally as effective. The best brands are those that provide a bioavailable active form of vitamin D3 that conforms to standards of purity, including California’s Proposition 65. A supplement, like Animal Parade, also offers the benefits of being vegetarian, hypo-allergenic with natural flavor.

Children’s Liquid Vitamin Formulas for Kids on the Autism Spectrum

For parents of children on the autism spectrum, the benefits of using children’s liquid vitamins instead of pills, gummies, or capsules are obvious. Liquid formulas are far easier to administer and greatly reduce the risk of choking. As well, liquid vitamins can be easily mixed in with beverages to ensure that the full dose is taken.

Are Children’s Liquid Vitamins Right for Your Child?
If you’re considering giving a liquid vitamin, the first step is to talk to your child’s pediatrician. Some formulas of children’s liquid multivitamins are better than others when it comes to kids on the spectrum. Vitamin D is particularly important in supporting healthy brain function. Vitamin B12, B6, and B1 are also very important because they play such an important role in the function of the nervous system.

Other vitamins including nutrients such as folic acid, calcium, vitamin C and omega 3 fatty acids are also vital to good health for all children whether or not they have been diagnosed with autism.

While there are many alternative treatments on the market for autism, a high quality brand of children’s liquid vitamins is a safe, conservative option for ensuring that balanced, healthy nutrition is being given on a daily basis. Treatments that recommend very large doses of any one vitamin should be reviewed carefully because of the potential for dangerous side effects.

Which Children’s Liquid Vitamins Are Best?
Along with having the daily requirements of essential and non-essential vitamins, the highest quality children’s liquid vitamin brands will also contain whole foods, prebiotics, lutein, bioflavonoids and vitamin K2 along with being free from artificial flavors and colors. Because administering vitamins can be particularly difficult for children with autism, a flavor your child likes is also very important. 

If you are concerned that you child may have a nutritional deficiency, children’s liquid vitamin supplements might be worth considering. Start with discussing brands and dosages with your doctor and choose a high quality brand with a flavor that appeals to your child.

Combat Your Kids Snacking with Kids Multivitamins

Let’s face it! Kids love to snack. Yet, those chips, cookies, and other treats rarely offer the nutrition needed to support healthy growth and development. If you have a child who would rather eat snacks than a balanced meal, kids multivitamins may be a smart way to bridge the nutritional gap.

Each day, your child needs a healthy mix of fresh fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains, and dairy products. This balanced diet contains the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for growing kids. If your child regularly skips meals or would rather graze throughout the day, a balanced formula of kids multivitamins can help. The best brands contain the daily requirement of all essential and non-essential vitamins and minerals, along with key nutrients that support proper digestion and absorption.

The Top 6 Vitamins and Minerals to Look for in Kids Multivitamins

Vitamin A – Helps to promote normal growth, tissue and bone repair, healthy skin, and immune responses

Vitamin Bs – The family of B vitamins supports energy production, as well as healthy circulatory and nervous systems.

Vitamin C – Helps to promote growth of muscles, connective tissue, and skin

Vitamin D – Promotes bone and tooth formation and helps the body absorb calcium and metabolize phosphorus

Calcium – Helps to build strong bones

Iron – builds muscle and helps support blood production

A balanced brand of kids multivitamins will not contain large doses of any one vitamin or mineral. Rather, it will meet the daily requirements for children in a formula that is easy to administer.

Five Tips for Kids Multivitamin Formulas

• Keep multivitamins and all medications out of the reach of children.
• Consult with your child’s pediatrician before administering any vitamin or nutritional supplement.
• Try a chewable vitamin, if a pill or liquid supplement is not liked by your child.

Balanced nutrition primarily obtained in the diet is an important component of your child’s learning, growth, and development. However, if snacking is an issue and regular meals are few and far between, adding kids multivitamins to the mix might be the right choice to ensure your child is obtaining the nutrition required for healthy growth and development.

Minimize Antibiotics Usage with Children’s Vitamins

In a study conducted by CDC researchers, U.S. doctors are prescribing enough antibiotics to give them to four out of five Americans each year. This alarmingly high level of prescribing antibiotics suggests that they are being widely overused. For children, this over usage could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This has resulted in some pediatricians leading the way in cutting down on antibiotic usage by making recommendations to parents to use preventative strategies like giving children’s vitamins to keep children healthy.

The most frequently prescribed antibiotic is azithromycin which is commonly used to treat upper respiratory infections. However, most colds and flus, which have respiratory symptoms, can be treated with over-the-counter remedies such as pain-relievers and decongestants. Preventative strategies, such as regular hand-washing, a balanced diet, adequate rest, flu shots, and children’s multivitamins, can go a long way towards minimizing a child’s chance of getting sick in the first place.

During the swine flu pandemic of 2009 and 2010, children with flu-related pneumonia were widely treated with antibiotics to prevent serious complications. While this was a smart medical decision, preventing flu transmission would have been even more effective and would have minimized the overuse of antibiotics that may eventually lead to the development of even more serious viruses.

Interestingly, the highest rates of antibiotic usage were found to be in the South and Appalachia. The lowest rates were found in Alaska, Oregon, and California. As more is learned about the overuse of antibiotics, new protocols that are rolled out worldwide will certainly be developed to help doctors, as well as patients, determine when antibiotics are or aren’t needed. In the meantime, taking a proactive stance with children’s multivitamins and other preventative strategies may just be the best response to this growing problem.