Is a Vitamin Supplement Necessary For your Kids? Spoonful of dietary supplements

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When it comes to your kids and vitamin supplements, you should know that most children do not need extra or supplemental vitamins or minerals. If you base your children’s diet on the food guide pyramid, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you shouldn’t need to give your child vitamin supplements.

However, it is important to know that of all the age groups, children can be the one that is the hardest to control when it comes to diet. Children don’t understand what it means when something is essential for their bodies, and they are much more prone to being picky eaters or having poor diets. If you child is eating a special diet, they might need more vitamins or minerals. These can include vegetarians, children with allergies, or children that have religions which state certain foods shouldn’t be eaten.

The most important thing for you to keep in mind when it comes to making sure that your child has a healthy diet is to ensure that they are getting the proper amounts of the right kinds of vitamins and minerals. If this isn’t happening because of what they are eating, you either need to change what they are eating, or make sure that they are getting the vitamins in another way. Vitamin supplements can be purchased in kid-friendly shapes and flavors, so it shouldn’t be a problem to have your child take them.

There are several vitamins and minerals that are going to be important for your child to have enough of. These include, especially, iron, which is needed in children to prevent anemia. This usually happens if children aren’t given enough extra iron after they are six months old, which happens often if a baby drinks cow or goat milk instead of formula. Young and adolescent girls are also at a risk of having an iron deficiency.

Another important thing that children need is calcium. This is something that is completely necessary for healthy bones and teeth. If children are drinking milk and eating dairy products, they are probably getting enough calcium, but if they aren’t, you might need to supplement this in their diets.

It is also important that children are getting fluoride. This helps to build healthy teeth. However, it is important that they only get enough fluoride, and not too much, so don’t add to their intake unless your dentist or doctor thinks that you should.

If you don’t think that your child is getting enough vitamins or minerals, you should consult with your doctor to make sure that you can find a good balance and a good children’s multivitamin for them to be taking. However, it is crucial that you realize that a vitamin is not a replacement for food and is not a substitute for a varied diet.

Do you think vitamins are necessary for kids?

Healthy Forever & Ever

The ABCs for combating the cold and flu season

Source: Dumex

With cold and flu season in full swing, parents who pay attention to hygiene and nutrition can boost the odds that their children will stay healthy - or at least healthier than last year.

Some of the techniques may be surprising and, better yet, take much less time than you think.

"Probably the most important thing is to tell kids to wash their hands frequently," said Dr. Jim King, a family physician in Selmer, Tenn., who is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians' board of directors.

Germ-laden hands are the most common source of bacteria, he added, and frequent hand-washing will reduce the number of colds and infections.

Encourage your kids to wash their hands after using the bathroom, playing with toys shared by other children and when they get home from school, King said. To enlist their support, set up a chart system with gold stars or, for older children, other appropriate rewards.

Also, "teach kids not to always be touching their faces and their mouths," said Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and author of Baby 411.

"Germs will live on surfaces such as the desk or doorknob for several hours," Brown said. So if kids touch a contaminated surface and then their face, mouth or nose, they can easily spread germs, she added.

"As kids get older, they tend to share food and drinks," Brown continued, saying that should also be discouraged. The reason: Sharing food and drinks can also spread germs, and "you can end up getting strep throat or mono," he said.

Then there's the inevitable showdown over bedtimes. But be sure to enforce reasonable ones, King and Brown agreed.

Most children don't get enough sleep, boosting their risk of getting sick. For 5- to 9-year-olds, 10 or 11 hours of sleep is needed, Brown and King said. 10- to 14-year-olds need nine or 10 hours, and 14- to 18-year-olds need eight or nine hours.

Getting kids to go to bed has always seemed like mission impossible. "But if you remind them how crummy they feel in the morning when the alarm goes off [if they haven't gotten enough sleep], they might be a little bit more reasonable," Brown said.

King urges parents to "get kids up at the same time every day, too." This will help establish a regular sleep-wake pattern. He encourages this practice even on weekends, although he acknowledges it's not easy - especially with teens who think they have a right to sleep in when school's out.

Brown also suggests talking to your child about the value of nutritious eating. And develop a policy that limits buying food from school vending machines or from fast-food operations.

Finally, encourage your child to get regular physical activity. The best way is to lead by example, Brown said.

"Go for a nightly walk, a nightly bike ride, or walk the dog together. Incorporate exercise into family time," he suggested.

Healthy Forever & Ever