At the age of four, the child's body grows very actively, therefore it is very important that the baby consumes sufficient doses of vitamins and minerals with food. What kind of vitamins does a four-year-old need, can they be obtained only from food? When will the pediatrician advise a vitamin supplement from the pharmacy and which of the pharmacy preparations to choose at this age?
Every day, a person must consume various nutrients that are important for the functioning of his body. For children, this is even more important, because in the body of children there are active processes of growth and development, and vitamins are vital substances for such processes.
At the age of 4, the child's skeletal and muscular system develops especially actively, therefore, parents should pay attention to a sufficient intake of vitamins D, A, C and group B.
The requirements for vitamins at 4 years of age and their effect on the child's body are presented in the table:
Indications
A child aged 4 years can be prescribed vitamin preparations in such situations:
- The child has dietary problems. For example, there is no way to eat a balanced diet, there is an intolerance to certain foods, the child does not eat well and refuses food rich in vitamins.
- The child was diagnosed with vitamin deficiency. It manifests itself as sleep problems, general fatigue, skin changes, blurred vision, poor appetite, frequent moods and other symptoms.
- The child attends developmental classes, circles or a sports section, that is, he has increased physical and mental stress.
- The child is often sick or recovering from an acute illness.
- Parents want to support the child's body at a time when the number of vitamins in food is decreasing.
- The family lives in environmentally unfavorable conditions.
Contraindications
Four-year-olds are not given vitamins if they have:
- Hypervitaminosis was diagnosed.
- There is an intolerance to the components of the drug.
- Have severe kidney disease.
Should I use to strengthen the immune system?
The load on the immunity of a 4-year-old child is quite high, since such children usually attend kindergarten or developmental classes, communicate a lot with other children and always run the risk of catching the virus.
Prevention of acute respiratory viral infections and colds with vitamins includes the use of complexes rich in ascorbic acid, vitamins E, A and D. These vitamins are especially important for the child's immunity and must be supplied to his body in the right amount. If you cannot meet your nutritional needs, complex vitamins will come to the rescue.
Among the most popular drugs designed specifically to support children's immunity are Pikovit Prebiotic, VitaMishki Immuno + and Multi-tabs Immuno Kids.
Release forms
Children's vitamins are produced in the form:
- Sweet syrup.
- Delicious gel for spreading on cookies.
- Food miscible powder.
- Chewable hard tablets.
- Gummy lozenges.
At the age of 4, children especially like vitamins in the form of animal figurines that need to be chewed. They are cute and tasty.
What vitamins are better for giving: a review of popular
Nutritional adjustments as an alternative
Food is the main source of almost all vitamins, therefore, it is important to pay great attention to the balanced diet of a 4-year-old child.
You can avoid the use of pharmacy vitamin supplements if the following products are necessarily present in the four-year menu:
- Milk, cottage cheese, sour cream and cheese.
- Eggs.
- Butter.
- A variety of vegetables.
- Meat, poultry and liver.
- A fish.
- Vegetable oil.
- Bread and porridge.
- Legumes.
- Fruits and a variety of berries.
Read about the menu of a child from 4 years old in another article.
Komarovsky's opinion
The popular doctor does not like synthetic vitamin preparations too much, although he calls vitamins extremely important for the health of the child.
Komarovsky is sure that with a varied diet, the child does not need additional vitamin complexes.
Therefore, he advises parents to pay attention to the child's diet, and not run to the pharmacy for bright pills. According to the pediatrician, the appointment of vitamin preparations should be carried out only with proven hypovitaminosis.
For more details, see the program of Dr. Komarovsky.
Tips
- Buy only vitamin complexes designed for children for your child. If you give the baby a drug for adults, it can cause health problems.
- It is best to choose a vitamin supplement from a reputable manufacturer and buy it from a pharmacy. When comparing the complexes recommended for 4-year-old children with each other, do not forget to read the reviews of the parents.
- Before giving the baby a vitamin, read the annotation attached to the drug and pay attention to the permissible age of use, recommended dosages and contraindications. Also, look at the expiration date of the drug.
- If your baby has a tendency to allergies, select vitamins especially carefully. Many vitamin complexes include dyes and scent additives, and although most manufacturers use natural compounds, allergic reactions to them are still possible.
- When choosing a vitamin complex for a 4-year-old child, you can opt for a vitamin and mineral preparation. For a child of this age, the intake of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc is especially important.
- Since almost all vitamins have a tonic effect on the functioning of the nervous system, their use is recommended in the morning.
- Think carefully about storing children's vitamins, since many children perceive them not as a medicine, but as a delicacy. Try not to allow the situation when the baby gets to the full package and eats a lot of vitamins at once.
