Every parent wants their child to grow up to be healthy and strong. One of the most common ways to do this is to make sure that your children are getting the proper vitamins and nutrients they need through the foods and beverages you serve them. Though most parents do try to serve their children healthy meals, sometimes, diet alone isn’t enough to provide their growing bodies with the fuel they need to properly develop.

As the human body can only produce so much of what is needed to properly function, and diets may not be enough to suffice, for some children, taking vitamins and supplements may be an advisable action. Below, are some common reasons your child’s pediatrician may recommend daily supplements:

• Your child isn’t eating regular meals that incorporate a well-balanced variety of fresh, whole foods.
• Your child is a picky eater meaning they don’t eat a lot of foods that are required or recommended for continued growth and development and/or they don’t eat often enough.
• Your child has digestive issues, takes certain medications, or suffers from chronic medical conditions like asthma.
• Your child consumes a lot of processed, fast, or convenience store foods.
• Your family has chosen a restrictive diet such as a vegan or vegetarian diet which eliminates certain animal-proteins and vitamins needed.
• Your child drinks a lot of carbonated and sugary beverages which remove a lot of the vitamins and supplements they would normally receive from a healthy diet.
• Your child has a short stature and is not meeting growth stages as they should you may be looking for information on human growth hormone for children as well as daily vitamins to try and rectify the matter.

Types of Vitamins Children Need

If it has been determined that your child needs vitamins in order to support proper growth and development, it is imperative that you’re giving your children ONLY what they need. Having them to take supplements that contain too much of a certain vitamin or nutrient could have a negative impact on their overall health. Below is a look at the top vitamins and minerals your child needs and the function of each:

• Vitamin A – Found most commonly in food sources like cheese, eggs, milk, squash, and carrots, this vitamin helps to support growth, development, bone, and tissue repair.
• Vitamin B – There are several vitamins in the B category including B2, B3, B6, and B12. They can be found in food sources like beef, fish, chicken, beans, eggs, nuts, and cheese. They are necessary to help boost energy, support the circulatory system, and maintain a healthy metabolism.
• Vitamin C – Best found in citrus fruits like oranges and pineapples or green vegetables like broccoli, vitamin c is needed for healthy muscles, skin, and connective tissue.
• Vitamin D – Though the best way to get a good dose of this vitamin is a few hours in the sun, vitamin D can also be found in foods like salmon and beverages like milk. Necessary for the absorption of calcium and builder of strong teeth and bones, this is a vital nutrient for children.
• Calcium – Great for good bone health, calcium is found mostly in dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt, but can sometimes be found in calcium-fortified foods like orange juice.
• Iron – Required for the production of healthy red blood cells and strong muscles, iron can be found in food sources like beef, pork, turkey, spinach, and beans.

Not all children require a daily vitamin. However, if your child is a picky eater, suffers from other medical conditions, takes medications, or doesn’t eat properly, it may be necessary for their improved growth and development.

If your child’s pediatrician has recommended that they take a daily vitamin, ask for their recommendation on which products are best and use your discretion to choose the right ones for your child. Use factors like the nutritional composition, ingredients, and preferred method of consumption (swallow, chew, dissolvable). With a few weeks of continued use, you should notice a big difference in the way your child is developing.

Useful Apps

Technology is nearly touching every aspect of our lives, and vitamin and supplement intake is no exception. In this section, some useful apps related to vitamin and supplement intake are listed:

Vitamin Reminder

Using this app, you just need to specify the dates and times you would like to be reminded about taking your vitamins and supplements, so you don’t forget taking your pills again!

As the app is provided by InVite Health, it also gives you free access to the InVite Health Radio, featuring insights on health, nutrition, and wellness.

Vitamin Deficiency Finder

This is an interesting app that is able to find vitamin deficiencies by matching your symptoms and providing you with food suggestions, apart from other interesting features the app has. The app is currently based on a patent pending innovation related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) based diagnosis.

Supplements Guide

If you are looking for a guide to the most well known and commonly taken supplements, this app is for you! You can pick a health topic to check related supplements, mark supplements as favorites so you can reference them quickly, and much more.