Article of Interest

How to Choose a Safe Children's Vitamin

Children's vitamins can look simple on the front of the bottle. Turn that bottle around, however, and parents may find dozens of nutrients, percentages, serving sizes and ingredients. Here's what actually matters when choosing one for your child.

The children's vitamin aisle can be overwhelming.

Gummies. Chewables. Liquids. Powders. Multivitamins. Individual nutrients. Products promising everything from better nutrition to stronger immunity.

And then there are labels advertising enormous percentages of the Daily Value—as though more automatically means better.

It doesn't.

A children's vitamin should be chosen based on your child's age, diet, nutritional needs and health—not on which bottle makes the biggest promises.

The goal isn't to find the vitamin with the most impressive label. It's to choose an appropriate product, in an appropriate amount, for the right reason.

First Question: Does Your Child Need a Vitamin?

Before comparing brands, ask the more important question:

What nutritional need are you trying to fill?

Most healthy children who regularly eat a varied, balanced diet can obtain most of the nutrients they need from food.

But real life isn't always that simple.

A pediatrician or qualified healthcare professional may recommend a multivitamin or individual nutrient when a child:

• Eats a very limited or restrictive diet
• Has a diagnosed nutritional deficiency
• Has a health condition that increases the risk of a nutrient deficiency
• Follows a dietary pattern that makes certain nutrients more difficult to obtain
• Has another individual nutritional need identified by a healthcare professional

And plenty of parents are simply trying to provide some nutritional backup for a child who doesn't eat perfectly every day.

If that's your situation, our guide Do Kids Really Need a Multivitamin? What Parents Should Know explains when a multivitamin may—and may not—make sense.

7 Things Parents Should Check Before Buying a Children's Vitamin

1. Make Sure It's Appropriate for Your Child's Age

Children aren't simply smaller adults.

Their nutrient requirements change as they grow, and a product formulated for an adult may contain amounts or ingredients that aren't appropriate for a young child.

Look at the age range on the product and follow the labeled directions unless your child's healthcare professional has instructed you differently.

Don't automatically cut an adult serving in half and assume you've created a children's vitamin.

2. Read the Supplement Facts Panel

The colorful claims on the front of a bottle are marketing.

The Supplement Facts panel is where parents should spend their time.

Look for:

• Serving size
• Amount of each nutrient per serving
• % Daily Value when established and applicable
• The actual vitamins, minerals and other dietary ingredients included
• The separate Other Ingredients list

A bottle might say “60 gummies,” for example, while the serving size is two gummies. Or a liquid may list nutrients per teaspoon rather than per entire bottle.

Always know what constitutes one serving before comparing products.

3. Don't Assume More Is Better

This may be the most important lesson in the entire article.

1000% of something isn't automatically better than 100%.

Children need vitamins and minerals, but some nutrients can cause problems when consumed in excessive amounts.

This is especially important with nutrients such as:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Zinc
• And certain other vitamins and minerals when taken in excessive amounts

Recommended amounts and upper intake levels can also differ by age.

A high number on the label may look impressive, but a children's vitamin isn't a contest to see how many nutrients can be pushed as high as possible.

For individual nutrients, parents can learn more in our guides to Vitamin D for Kids, Iron for Kids, Vitamin C for Kids and Zinc for Kids.

4. Look for Quality Manufacturing & Testing

Dietary supplements are regulated differently from prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

The FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they're sold to consumers.

Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their dietary supplements meet applicable requirements, and dietary supplement manufacturers must follow federal current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements designed to help ensure product identity, purity, quality, strength and composition.

That's why manufacturing standards and quality controls deserve attention.

Parents can look for companies that provide clear information about:

• Where and how their products are manufactured
• Good Manufacturing Practice standards
• Ingredient identity and quality controls
• Independent or third-party testing
• Transparent product labeling
• How to contact the company with questions

5. Watch for Overlapping Supplements

This is easy to miss.

A child might be taking:

• A daily multivitamin
• A separate vitamin D supplement
• An immune-support product containing zinc
• A fortified nutrition drink
• And foods heavily fortified with vitamins and minerals

Each product may look reasonable by itself.

But together, your child could be getting substantially more of certain nutrients than you realized.

Don't evaluate supplements one bottle at a time. Look at the child's total intake.

That doesn't mean parents need to calculate every micronutrient in every bite of food. It means you should check for obvious duplication before combining multiple supplements.

6. Don't Let Gummies Become Candy

Gummy vitamins can be convenient for children who have difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules.

But there's an obvious problem:

They can look and taste like candy.

That makes storage especially important.

Never encourage a child to think of vitamins as candy or something they can help themselves to.

Parents should control the serving and immediately return the container to a secure location after use.

Also compare gummy formulas carefully. Depending on the product, gummies may differ substantially from tablets, capsules or liquids in the nutrients and amounts they provide.

7. Check the Other Ingredients Too

The vitamins and minerals aren't the only things in a children's supplement.

Depending on the form, a product may also contain:

• Sweeteners
• Flavors
• Colors
• Gelatin
• Starches
• Oils
• Binders or stabilizers
• Other inactive ingredients used to manufacture the product

These ingredients aren't automatically bad.

But parents should know what they're buying—especially when a child has a food allergy, dietary restriction or sensitivity to a particular ingredient.

A transparent label should make it reasonably easy to understand what's in the product.

Pay Special Attention to Iron

Iron is essential for children, but it deserves special respect in supplement form.

Some children's multivitamins contain iron. Others don't.

Whether your child needs supplemental iron depends on factors such as age, diet, health and iron status.

Iron deficiency shouldn't be ignored—but iron also isn't something to casually megadose.

If you're concerned that your child may not be getting enough, read Iron for Kids: Signs They May Not Be Getting Enough and discuss testing or supplementation with your child's healthcare professional when appropriate.

What About “Natural” Children's Vitamins?

“Natural” can sound reassuring.

But it isn't a substitute for evaluating the actual product.

A naturally derived ingredient can still be inappropriate in the wrong amount, interact with medications, trigger an allergy or simply be unnecessary for a particular child.

Likewise, a vitamin doesn't become better merely because its marketing sounds wholesome.

Evaluate the formula, dose, ingredients, manufacturing standards and reason for using it—not just the word “natural.”

Be Careful With Big Health Claims

A vitamin should not have to promise miracles to be useful.

Be cautious when children's supplements are promoted as though they can:

• Guarantee that a child won't get sick
• Replace a healthy diet
• Correct every symptom a child has
• Transform behavior or school performance overnight
• Treat or cure diseases

Vitamins and minerals have real biological roles.

Correcting an actual nutrient deficiency can matter enormously.

But that's very different from assuming that giving more vitamins will automatically make an already well-nourished child healthier.

Good children's nutrition doesn't need exaggerated promises.

Picky Eaters Need a Thoughtful Approach

This is one of the most common reasons parents start looking at children's vitamins.

Your child eats three bites at dinner.

Vegetables are rejected on sight.

The lunchbox comes home almost untouched.

And suddenly a multivitamin feels like nutritional insurance.

A supplement may help fill certain gaps, but it shouldn't become the reason everyone stops working on the diet.

Keep offering nutritious foods even when you're using a vitamin.

Our guides Best Vitamins for Picky Eaters: What Kids May Be Missing and Why Won't My Child Eat? Picky Eating, Nutrition & When to Worry take a closer look at that problem.

Store Children's Vitamins Like Medicine—Not Food

This deserves its own section because even a well-formulated supplement can become dangerous when a child gets into the bottle.

Keep vitamins and supplements:

• In their original containers
• Closed securely after every use
• Out of sight and reach of children
• In a location children cannot independently access

This is particularly important for products containing iron and other nutrients that can be harmful in excessive amounts.

A Parent's Children's Vitamin Checklist

FAQ: Choosing Children's Vitamins

Does every child need a multivitamin?

No. Many healthy children eating a varied, balanced diet can obtain the nutrients they need from food. Supplements may be useful when a child's diet is restricted, a deficiency is present or another individual nutritional need exists.

Are higher-dose children's vitamins better?

Not necessarily. Nutrients are essential, but excessive amounts of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful. The appropriate amount depends on the nutrient, the child's age, diet and individual needs.

Are gummy vitamins okay for children?

Gummies can be a convenient delivery form, but parents should compare their nutrient content with other forms and store them securely. Because gummies may resemble candy, children shouldn't have independent access to the bottle.

Does FDA approve children's vitamins before they're sold?

No. FDA does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they reach the market. Supplement companies are responsible for meeting applicable federal requirements, and FDA has regulatory and enforcement authority over dietary supplements.

Does third-party tested mean FDA approved?

No. Third-party testing and FDA approval are different things. Independent testing can provide additional information about characteristics of a product depending on the testing performed, but it does not turn a dietary supplement into an FDA-approved product.

Should a children's vitamin contain iron?

Not every child needs supplemental iron. Iron needs vary by age, diet and individual health. If iron deficiency is a concern, discuss the child's diet and possible testing with their healthcare professional rather than assuming a high-dose iron supplement is needed.

Can my child take several different supplements?

Sometimes multiple supplements are appropriate, but check for overlapping nutrients. A multivitamin combined with separate vitamin D, zinc, iron or other products can unintentionally increase total intake.

Key Takeaways for Parents

The Parent's Bottom Line

A good children's vitamin shouldn't require a chemistry degree to understand.

You should be able to turn the bottle around and determine what's in it, how much your child is getting, how much constitutes a serving and who the product is designed for.

Don't chase the biggest numbers.

Don't assume “natural” means automatically better or safer.

Don't combine multiple products without checking where the nutrients overlap.

And don't expect a vitamin to do the job of food.

Choose supplements thoughtfully, use them for a reason, and keep nutrition at the center of your child's health.

Founder Perspective

The LifeSource Vitamins Standard

Recommended Reading

• Do Kids Really Need a Multivitamin? What Parents Should Know
• Best Vitamins for Picky Eaters: What Kids May Be Missing
• Vitamin D for Kids: Growth, Bones, Immunity & How Much They Need
• Iron for Kids: Signs They May Not Be Getting Enough
• Vitamin C for Kids: How Much Do They Need & Does It Help?
• Zinc for Kids: Immune Health, Growth & Nutrition

Supporting Your Child's Nutrition

A children's vitamin can be useful when there's a nutritional reason for it.

But supplements work best as exactly that—supplements to a nutritious diet, not substitutes for one.

Continue offering a variety of foods, pay attention to your child's eating patterns and growth, and use supplements thoughtfully when they're appropriate.

Questions About Children's Nutrition?

FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplements are not intended to replace a varied diet or medical care. Always consult your child's pediatrician or qualified healthcare professional before giving dietary supplements to a child.