Vitamins for Toddlers?

Updated on February 25, 2011
K.B. asks from Albuquerque, NM
23 answers

My daugher has been sick a lot this winter, she has caught every bug that has gone around. Now she has an ear infection and is taking antibiotics. She recently started daycare which has exposed her to new germs. Does anyone give their toddlers vitamins or anything to help prevent illness?

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B.G.

answers from Phoenix on

I sell a juice and it is Himalayan GoChi juice we have not been sick in my house for the 4 years we have taken it. I have 4 kids and run a in home daycare. Several of m,y daycare kids also take it. It is worth the try we offer a 90 100% money back guarantee. You can see more information at Barbgarcia.com or please feel free to call me at ###-###-####.
Good luck
B. Garcia

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J.G.

answers from Phoenix on

I give my son Cod Liver oil and Acidophilus they have many to choose from at sprouts and whole foods. since i have been giving it to him he has had only 1 ear infection and hardly gets sick at all. The fish oil is nasty tasteing but he has gotten used to it and asks for it! Good 'Luck

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

Daycare is a great place for germs sharing on a level not seen in human history. Yes, it challenges kids immune systems...probably more often than what would be normal. I would go for a vitamin.
The problem is choosing a good one. there are a lot of companies selling stuff out there. Some vitamins had higher levels of lead than others. Do your research to be confident in what you choose. I am still on the lookout for really excellent supplements for my family members.
Remember that sun exposure (without sunscreen or clothing barrier)for natural vitamin D production in the skin is a lot more important than anyone ever realized. It may protect against flu. It is known to protect against cancer. The sun exposure itself may be beneficial in preventing myopia (dopamine production). There may even be connections with autism. I can not help but think that it helps with run-of-the mill colds too. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.L.

answers from Tucson on

Zamu is a new beverage product that is safe for pregnant women and young kids (as well as good for older kids and adults). It is 100% certified organic, all-rainforest ingredients with no fillers, chemicals or synthetics. It is simply a pineapple/mango base with camu camu, acai berry, cinnamon, cacao and sangre de drago. It is a super antioxidant, very high in natural bio-available vitamin C as well as a full profile of B vitamins and amino acids plus it is high in fiber. Using it daily helps the body to defend itself from illness by fighting against free radical cell damage. It tastes good so it's easy to get kids to drink their little bit every day. Check out my website: www.shootingstarherbs.amazonherb.net and feel free to contact me with any questions.

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A.D.

answers from Tucson on

Hi I am a dietitian and Mom of 3, not necessarily in that order! I give my toddler Danactive as a probiotic supplement daily. Helps immunity and digestion. Is natural and safe for little ones. also fresh fruit at least twice a day. I also give the gummy omega 3 vits (when he turned 2). the good news is that her immune system is getting a workout, which will help her later as she goes to school. I know it seems like a terrible thing, but it will help later. I used to fret so much as my middle child caught everything. now he rarely gets sick and even then only for a day or two. Good luck! A.

L.C.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi K. -

We started giving our toddlers Monavie. It's a natural juice with nothing else added, 100% juice. The main source is the acai berry paired up with 18 other fruits. You give them 2 ounces, twice a day and that is equivalent to 13 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Plus, since it is liquid form, everything is absorbed in the body. We didn't want to give them store-bought vitamins or even ones from the doctors office, since those have genetically made material that the body can't absorb and anything in pill form we absorb only about 8%, so it's a waste of money! The juice taste great and it's easy! Jenny Mcarthy just endorsed it in her new book for her autistic son since they have linked some autism cases with nutrition. In addition, it is the only nutritional beverage that has been published in medical journals and has gone through studies.

Here is the website: www.monavie.com

I became a distributor for it and now my husband and I take it - here is my website: www.mymonavie.com/lauracooper

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J.S.

answers from Monroe on

It would be great if my daughter would take them but she never would, she could taste it was like a vitamin and would not take them. She fortunately has never been sick! So I guess the vitamins aren't a must for preventing sickness but sure does not hurt.

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A.R.

answers from Phoenix on

We used dinopals for a long time, but they became hard to find. We now use the Animal Parade brand.
When my daughter first started school, it seemed like we were sick the entire first year!
Make sure you give her acidophilus with the antibiotics. I use the primadophilus with my kids. They have chewable tablets that the kids like, or a powder form.

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K.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Here I am again recommending Probiotics. I can't say enough about probiotics and how they not only support digestive health but also enhance immune support.

Probiotics are actually live bacteria. Unlike the harmful bacteria that can cause illness and infection, however, probiotics are bacteria that provide some sort or another of a benefit to the person that uses them. The bacteria in probiotics are the type of bacteria that are found naturally in the digestive system. These bacteria aid the digestive system in a variety of ways, from helping with digestion to synthesizing vitamins to providing a barrier against allergens, toxins, and other harmful substances. Probiotics even aid the immune system.

Most people aren't aware that our digestive tract is the gateway to our immune system. Hence, it's so important to have a healthy digestive tract.

I've been taking probiotics for several years and remain very healthy. I buy mine online at discount and it only costs about 50 cents per day. Well worth it! I'm always happy to share more natural health remedies to those that are interested.

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D.W.

answers from Phoenix on

My 2yr old & 8mth old have caught every cold/flu going around since my little one was born in July. I feel your pain! My baby has also had the ear infections to go along with the colds & has been on antibiotics 3 times. I do give my 2 yr old a gummy vitamin w/ immunity support (which honestly never made much difference in him getting sick or not.) I recently started him on an Omega 3 supplement & a probiotic supplement & while he has still gotten the colds since starting him on those the colds do seem to not last as long or be as bad. If you can afford it taking your toddler to the chiropractor regularly is supposed to help keep them healthly as well. Good Luck!

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S.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

Not sure about the age, but at my son's two year check up, I asked if it would be ok to start him on a daily vitamin, and his doctor said that it would be ok. My son doesn't go to daycare, so he doesn't get sick often; which is a double edge sword. Children build up their immune system when they get sick. I only use the vitamin to help make sure he gets the important nutrients he may not get with his diet. Check with your pediatrician to make sure it is ok at her age to start a daily vitamin.

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi K., I think I mentioned this in another post but until this year, my kids have NEVER been sick. From when they were old enough to chew and swallow, every day they take one of those gummy bear multi vitamins and an Omega-3. My daughter is 9 and in her 5 years of school has only missed 2 days and that was just sniffles. Same thing for my son although both of them missed 2 days this year because it's been so bad. So I say put her on a chewable vitamin, it doesn't have to be a fancy expensive one, you just have to be consistant and make sure she takes it every day...good luck!

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M.B.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi K.,

I give my daughter probiotics for kids. She is 2 yrs old and has not been sick except for a few sniffles and coughs. I talked to a gal at Whole Foods and she gave me information on them. I also give her a vitamin powder in a funky monkey smoothie. I blend ice, milk, a banana, and a little chocolate syrup. She drinks it up no problem. The best thing is just making sure she washes her hand...while it's hard to monitor this at daycare the probiotics may help. :)

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K.V.

answers from Albuquerque on

We tried a bunch of vitamins for our kids... Then we found out the hard way that the gummies are missing certain things. Our daughter Rainey was diagnosed as anemic (sp?).

We then found that the vitamins in our own company work well and she actually likes them!!! Nutrilite chewable Kid Tarts. We also have a Fruits and Veggies concentrate that is great for kids.

If you have an Amway Global friend to buy from, give them a shout - the products have a 6 month return policy, so you can at least try them --- return them if your kid doesn't like them. What can you lose? If you don't have an Amway Friend.... call me.

Kurt
###-###-####
www.vonconcepts.wwdb.biz

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L.M.

answers from Tucson on

Yes you can definitely start if you want to....a healthy diet of whole foods is a good foundation, that is what helps prevent illness. It's HARD though, especially if you have a kid like my son who is so blasted picky, but try your best.....I try with my son still even though we fail much of the time with him. Good handwashing is essential as well, not all daycares are good about this. My son takes Lil' Critters (or Rhino Vits, same thing pretty much) multi, veggies and fruits, and Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echenachia (in one gummy). Dr. Sears also has some good ones on his site. We take Herbs for Kids for immune system boosting as well.

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N.F.

answers from Albuquerque on

My guy takes those gummi vitamins and is hardly ever sick. He also sucks his thumb, so i wonder if his immunities get built up from what bugs are on his hands.

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M.A.

answers from Phoenix on

Iam an older Mom w my last one almost grown and gone, I thought,until I met my Fiance w two little ones. Wow.I'm blessed that I have a ton of experience so this "new Mom" role won't be so tough.Re: kids who are frequently sick my experience tells me that you MUST keep their immune system strong.They are around too many opportunities to catch something so keeping them strong is key. This is what I know, one of the key similarities I find w all "kids who are always getting sick" is that they drink milk.My oldest Daughter is a full time Nanny and she sees. it too. Milk produces mucus in the body and that makes for prime breeding ground for bacteria and virus'.One of the second most common "culprits" is excessive sugar. Sugar weakens the immune system and makes it prone to "attack" by bacteria and virus'. So its simple enough keep your sweetie off milk.Give them yogurt or veggies for the calcium and vitamin D. If they crave a bowl of cereal every now and then or you need a little milk for a recipe use Lactaid or Shamrock acidophilius milk. Try giving them fruit when they crave sugar.And as always keep them hydrated w plenty of water (NOT sugar filled drinks like sports or juice drinks) YOU are responsible for training your kids palates, NOT them. Try this for two weeks and I am sure you will see an improvement in runny noses and coughing etc.Then stay on track as lifestyle. Trust me if you think they are exposed to bad things in preschool wait till they get to High School.Its smarter to get the immune system strong so they can stay healthy for life. One last thing Southwest Naturopathic College has a medicinary w an inexpensive immune system stimulator (drops) that you can put in a bottle or sippy cup for little ones, or big kids. I still give it to my High Schooler when there is something going around his school. Good Luck

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D.S.

answers from Phoenix on

I've had my daughter on a multi-vitamin since she started daycare @18 months. Figured with all the bugs (and she caught a share of them) we need all the protection we can get. She loves the gummy bear ones (2 everyday)...may be healtier ones out there, but they taste good and she looks forward to them. I get the big bottle at Costco for $10 and we both take them. Check with your doctor first since she is under 2.

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D.G.

answers from Santa Fe on

I have 3 children,with 2 of them adopted with allergies who would get sick alot. 2 years ago, I found a Health and Wellness company called Arbonne International. They have a vitamin and mineral supplement that combines 'super food antioxidants' to support children's health and immunity.It's a powder packet that contains 14 different whole food fruits and vegetables that are more than our children could eat in one day!! It contains NO artificial sweeteners,colors, or flavors. You mix it with 6 oz. water, and it makes a great tasting drink! My kids are RARELY sick anymore!! I love it! I am an R.N., B.S.N., but I am also an Independent Consultant, District Manager with Arbonne and I could easily show you how to get it at a discount and conveniently delivered to your door! Contact me at this website, I'd love to help you.

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L.S.

answers from Phoenix on

I ran into this same problem from September-January. My daughter was sick every 3 weeks or so from daycare. We went to a naturopathic doctor who recommended a probiotic:

http://www.naturamart.com/seroyal-genestra-hmf-powder-60g...

1/8 teaspoon after dinner for 1 week and then 1/8 teaspoon after breakfast and dinner for 1 week. You can repeat this after any course of antibiotics. She also recommended we do it for 2 weeks every 3 months. 70% of our immune systems are in our digestive tract because it is the first defense against all germs and if it is unbalanced, it is more likely we will get sick.

She also gave us a multi-vitamin and immune system builder and recommended taking them 2 x a day for a month, then continue the vitamin daily and use the immune builder when you see signs of a cold or sickness coming on.

They are from Mountain Peak Nutritionals and they are called:

Children's Multivitamin and Children's Immune Support. You can only get them from licensed naturopaths. You can call the company and ask them where you can purchase them:

1-877-MTN-PEAK (877-686-7325)

Since we have been following this regimen, my daughter has only had a mild stuffy nose and has had no allergies.

Hope this helps.

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N.C.

answers from Albuquerque on

My daughter is also 19mo and I just started her on a children multivitamin. I talked to her ped before I gave it to her and he suggested I only give her half a tablet one time per day until she's two yo. I nursed her and since I started weaning her I was concerned that she wasn't getting enough nutrition so that is why I decided to give her a daily vitamin. She's pretty healthy and has only had about three bad colds in her lifetime so I figure something must be working:)
Good luck!

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D.F.

answers from Phoenix on

You received some wonderful information! I've given my toddlers a multi-vitamin that comes in powder form. My children were sick constantly until I started giving them Shaklee. Check out the website: www.shaklee.net/denisefriedl

I hope this helps!

D.

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A.A.

answers from Tucson on

My 8 year old has been sick only twice in her lifetime, most of my family members are Never sick... and I've always worked in a preschool among the adorable "petri dishes". We are strong believers in diet with minimal supplements being the key to health. All of us take a fish oil supplement, and then just eat a wide variety of the immune-power-boosting foods such as nuts, broccoli, spinach, tons of garlic and onions, tomatoes, carrots, yogurts, etc.

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