Taking care of the health of the child, parents pay attention to the nutrition of the baby, but it is not always possible to feed the baby according to a balanced and rational menu. Nutrition is not always able to provide the baby with all vitamins. In such cases, vitamin supplements come to the rescue.
Depending on their age, they will have different forms of release, different combinations of vitamins and their different dosages. Let's take a look at what nuances you should pay attention to when choosing vitamins for a child from 1 year old.
Vitamins play an important role in the development of the child and his growth, and the lack of any of the vitamins threatens the baby with health and well-being problems. Up to a year, babies usually have enough vitamins that are found in mother's milk or in formula, and after 1 year, the needs increase.
At the age of one, it is important to pay attention to a sufficient intake of crumbs of such vitamins into the body:
Indications and contraindications
Vitamins are given to babies over a year old if:
- The child eats unbalanced and inadequate.
- The baby has high physical and neuropsychiatric stress.
- Parents want to prophylactically increase the resistance of the baby's body to infectious diseases and colds.
- The child is recovering from an acute illness.
- The crumbs have diseases that prevent the absorption of nutrients from food.
Vitamin complexes should not be given to one-year-old children with hypervitaminosis detected in a child, with intolerance to any of the vitamins, as well as with kidney diseases.
Children at 1-2 years old should not be given drugs that include vitamin K, since taking such complexes has a bad effect on immunity and can cause bleeding.
Release forms
Vitamins prescribed for children from 12 months are usually presented in the form:
- Sweet syrup.
- Powder to be mixed with drink or food.
- Chewable tablets.
- Gel.
Most often, children over a year are advised to give liquid vitamin complexes, since they are easier to swallow. In most cases, such products have a pleasant taste, but due to the presence of flavors and dyes, they can cause allergies.
Review of the best
The most popular and common vitamin supplements for children over one year old are:
Tips
- The main difference between vitamin supplements for children is the dosage of their components optimal for a certain child's age, therefore, it is unacceptable to give vitamins to babies older than a year, intended for 2-3-year-old toddlers and older children.
- If the child has any diseases, vitamins should be given only as prescribed by the doctor. But even before buying a vitamin complex, a healthy baby should consult with your pediatrician to clarify possible contraindications for your child to vitamin therapy. The doctor will assess the health of the baby and tell you which complex is best for you.
- Many vitamin complex supplements are supplemented with mineral and other beneficial substances. Pay attention to their dosage.
- Be especially careful when picking up a vitamin remedy for a crumb with allergies. Many drugs include dyes and other chemical compounds that are dangerous for such a child. Give preference to powdered supplements as they contain less fillers.
A great alternative - in nutrition
Many parents believe that there is no need for pharmacy vitamin preparations for a child, since all the necessary vitamins are present in food. With this approach, it is important to pay close attention to the balance of the baby's diet. Your child should prepare a variety of meals using fresh and quality ingredients. Read about the child's menu at 1 year old in another article.
The diet of the crumbs should contain vegetable dishes, dairy products, meat and fish, puree and juices from fruits and berries, vegetable oil, cereals and bread, fresh herbs and many other products. It is also important to remember about the production of vitamin D in the child's skin during exposure to the sun, therefore, on a warm sunny day (especially in winter and early spring), the child must be under the sun for some time.
E. Komarovsky's opinion
A popular doctor considers vitamins to be important and useful substances, however, recommends taking vitamin products only with a confirmed deficiency of a certain vitamin. Komarovsky calls multicomponent vitamin supplements only a means for enriching pharmaceutical companies.
Before buying vitamins for a child, a well-known pediatrician advises to make sure that the child eats varied. If the baby receives products from groups such as cereals, meat, fruits, dairy products and vegetables (at least 1 product from each group), such food, according to Komarovsky, is quite diverse. The pediatrician does not support the idea of "taking vitamins just in case", especially when it comes to children.
For more details, see the program of Dr. Komarovsky.
