Do you give your 1-3+ year old vitamins?

[Newjewels]

I am wondering if I should start my second child (17 months) on an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. I am worried that I have failed him, since I didn't take my prenatal vitamins (containing fish oil) very consistently while pregnant with him or while breastfeeding. He has eczema ( which is well controlled now) but is otherwise healthy. But when I read about scoring lower on cognitive function tests and a higher incidence of asthma in kids whose moms didn't take fish oils while pregnant, I am feeling like a big loser!

I was very good at doing everything "right" with my first child, who is now 3. Except giving either kid vitamin D drops, haven't done that either. It is very sunny and hot where we live, although we do lather on the sunscreen. So my question is, who gives their kids vitamins, and which vitamins/ supplements do you give? My younger son eats much better than his older sister, and i worry about both of them getting everything they need. But I don't want to over supplement them with things they don't need, either!

Thanks ladies!

 

[mia1181]

Newjewels, I don't have kids yet so I will let others answer your question but I will give you my personal opinion on vitamins. I think people get really vitamin crazy. I take my prenatals with the omegas and dha because I figure, why not. But a healthy diet is way more important than vitamins. Your body absorbs nutrients from food much better than vitamins so I would look at your child's diet first. If your child eats a healthy well balanced diet then vitamins are not crucial, just a bonus. Don't forget that there plenty of ways to get omegas through food rather an a pill form. If your child is a picky eater I would say absolutely do vitamins because you never know what she is missing out on.

As for the studies that you are referring to, please don't beat yourself up about IQs and allergies. First those studies report greater rates they don't prove that if you don't give your kid them they will have asthma. Just that your child might be a little more likely. Secondly they often don't account for other variables that may also contribute to higher or lower asthma rates. If you think about the types of people who are more likely to give their children vitamins or take prenatals, they are women who have a doctor who is telling them to take them. In order to afford healthcare these women also probably have a higher income, they are probably more educated and those are also factors that lead to higher IQs. Now I don't know you but you are a member here on PS which means you are probably more educated and you are not likely to be below the poverty level. So there you have some factors that correlate with a higher IQ! I guess what I am saying is that whether you decide to supplement you children's nutrition with vitamins or not please don't beat yourself up over it because I can tell you that you did not cause your child's asthma by not taking a pill during pregnancy.

 

[Skippy123]

I agree w/a healthy diet but toddlers are tough and won't eat sometimes. Our Ped and the NICU recommended Poly Vi Sol. this is what we use since toddlers need iron. Our ped also suggested oj w/iron for better absorption. http://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/enf12/product.do?dm=enf&id=/Consumer_Home3/Infants/EnfamilPolyViSol2&iwpst=B2C&ls=0&csred=1&r=3522862025

We have eczema too. hang in there and hugs! I heard they usually grow out of eczema

 

[qtiekiki]

Please don't beat yourself up over this. I took all my vitamins with both kids. My daughter (just turned 4, 4 weeks ago) has really bad eczema, and still have flare up now when it's hot and/or dry. My son (2.5) didn't have eczema at all. So it's definitely not something that you caused.

We give our kids calcium and Omega 3 with DHA gummies. The calcium was because my daughter was sensitive to cow's milk when we stopped breastfeeding at 12 months and didn't like drinking soy or rice milk. The pedi wasn't worried but he said we could give her some calcium supplements if we are worried, so we did. Omega 3 with DHA because it's good for brain development. Pedi ok'ed it, but said it wasn't necessarily from looking at their diets.

 

[Newjewels]

Thanks everyone. You all make great points.

If they ate well and had a balanced diet at least over the course of a week I wouldn't worry as much. Some weeks are better than others, but overall they both could do better. I tried a smoothie this am but neither of them gulped it down. I will keep trying with the eventual goal of sneaking in some spinach and flax seed.

We are supposed to get the "baby's" bloodwork done, To check iron levels and such. I need to take him and have that done. I will talk to the kids' doc about the vitamin thing, but I think I will start looking at least for an EPA/DHA supplement.

 

[pancake]

Lots of people worry about this, but it is REALLY DIFFICULT for a well kid - no matter how fussy! - to get micronutrient deficiency in the Western world! This even applies to the kids who only eat eg. jam sandwiches or white foods or plain spaghetti or seemingly thin air.

Exceptions are:

1. Vitamin D - with use of sunscreen and indoor lifestyle, I would say that most children are probably vitamin D deficient. As are most adults. Unless they are very fair-skinned and live in a warm climate.

2. Kids who drink too much cows milk - they run into problems with iron deficiency.

3. Vegan kids - problems with B12.

Obviously children with chronic medical issues are a different group. Don't sweat the fish oil in pregnancy. If the difference were that significant it would be mandated everywhere, but it's not, so it's not.

(As for me: I'm a vitamin-D deficient, non-compliant-with-vitamin-supplements, pediatrician. In pregnancy I took vitamin D - although I was a bit hopeless - and folate, but the latter only until I saw that my baby's neural tube had closed )

 

[Sha]

I gave my daughter an iron supplement from 6months on (on doctor's recommendation, since she was low on iron) to about 18 months, then switched to an all-round vitamin supplement (with iron), from 18 months on.

 

[Newjewels]

Pancake, you're too funny! I was hoping you would comment! thank you

Will routine bloodwork check our son's vit D levels? We just had it done and haven't gotten results.

So you don't think it's necessary giving a fish ol supplement? (we do buy eggs and organic milk with added DHA, or whatever they add.) If there is a product you recommend in particular, I'm all ears.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[pancake]

Do I have any recommendations? Not really, no... I just think that the vast majority of kids don't need anything so I don't recommend it. If they are actually deficient in something then I just replace that. I think that if you would like to give fish oil, then do it - it will not do any harm and may do some good. But otherwise, I just wouldn't sweat it

Re vitamin D, I'm not sure what routine bloodwork in the States entails. It is usually a part of a slightly extended panel if you're looking for evidence of micronutrient deficiency... but if it hasn't been done and you'd like to know, it can usually be added on to the sample that you've already given, so hopefully he wouldn't need to be bled again, poor little tacker!

 

[Newjewels]

I really appreciate your input, pancake! Thanks again.

I know there is nothing more heartbreaking than when our babies are hurting, and I can't stand the thought of holding him down while he gets stuck. Why we procrastinated so long getting his blood drawn after his doc ordered it, and why I let his daddy take him!!!