Like other areas of parenting, making sure your child receives adequate nutrition may require some diligence on your part. While most kids get adequate amounts of nutrients through balanced diets that contain a variety of foods, multivitamins may help alleviate possible deficiencies. Food allergies, eating disorders and pickiness may restrict optimal nutrition. Talk to your doctor about your child’s diet and the necessity for vitamin supplementation. Multivitamins contain several nutrients in each dose.
Enfamil Poly-Vi-Sol Multivitamin
A liquid multivitamin suspension, Enfamil Poly-Vi-Sol is for babies and toddlers transitioning to solid foods, as well as finicky eaters and young children experiencing growth spurts. A single dose measures 1.0 ml and contains 100 percent of the daily recommended amounts of several vitamins for infants, including 1,500 IU vitamin A, 35 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin D, 5 IU vitamin E, 0.5 mg thiamine, 0.6 mg riboflavin, 8 mg niacin and 0.4 mg vitamin B6. This liquid multivitamin also contains 10 mg iron, which equals 67 percent of the daily recommended amount of this mineral for infants. You may mix this multivitamin with cereal, formula or fruit juice.
Centrum Kids Complete Chewables
While infants and young babies require liquid vitamins, older children may enjoy chewing flavored multivitamin pills. For children over 4, a single Centrum Kids Complete Chewable contains the full-recommended amounts of vitamins C, D, E, B6 and B12, as well as 100 percent of the recommended amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and iodine. These chewables contain less than 100 percent of many other nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin K, biotin, calcium and chromium. Children between 2 and 4 should chew approximately one-half of a tablet daily with food. Centrum Kids Complete Chewables also contain aspartame as a sweetening ingredient.
Flintstones Multivitamin Gummies
Gummies are multivitamin supplements that contain a chewy texture that may resemble the taste and consistency of fruity candies. For children over the age of 4, Flintstones Multivitamin Gummies provide fewer nutrients than Centrum Kids Complete Chewables. The recommended dose of two gummies provides less than 85 percent of each nutrient. Two gummies supply children with 2,000 IU vitamin A, which equals 40 percent of a 4-year-old child’s recommended daily intake, and 30 mg vitamin C, which equals one-half of the recommended amount. These gummies also supply between 25 and 50 percent of the daily recommended amounts of vitamins D, B6, biotin, folate and iodine. The product label recommends giving children between 2 and 4 a single gummy each day.
