Vitamins for children, what do you recommend ?

[BubblesDeVere]

My children at the minute seem to be getting everything that is going, at the minute they have ANOTHER cold and the youngest has an eye infection.

They never seem to be completely well for more than a few days, a friend pointed out that this was 'Not Normal' and that I ought to have some tests run on them to see why they are constantly ill. Another friend suggested turning down the central heating to see if that works, she doesn't have hers turned on and she almost NEVER has a cold same as her dh and ds.

I have been thinking of giving dd1 (6) and dd2 (3) some vitamins to see if this could help them.

What do you think? Do you have any recommendations?

[Evesmama]

hi bubbles, i was considering this myself recently and am still undecided like yourself??dd has had cold since before christmas..she gets rid of it and less than a week later its back..would be interested in hearing how this gos

p.s hows your slimming going

[BubblesDeVere]

I maintained this week, which is fine with me as it is totm and I can gain up to 1/2 stone. I am taking water retention pills so hopefully they are helping.

[Evesmama]

thats great, youre doing really well arnt you

saw loads of vitamin drinks and chewy sweets for little ones in chemist yesterday????still dont know?

[Toothache]

I told my GP that I was giving my Ds (3) vitamins and he gave me a right telling off! He said that he should be getting all the vitamins he needs from his food and strongly advised that I stopped giving him the tablets!

[Evesmama]

so what should we do to prevent them catching all these virus's?i thought a bit extra vit c might help???

[ghosty]

The company I work with manufacture top quality nutritional supplements. Jimjams works with them too. I will ask Jimjams if I can post her webpage on here .... it would make more sense to look at her page and not mine as I am in New Zealand but in the meantime this is my webpage so you can see what the products are ... click on products and the children's vitamins are called Usanimals. Both my children take them and I would highly recommend them.

[ghosty]

Toothache, more and more research is being done that proves that food today does not have enough of the right amounts of vitamins in them ... because modern farming practice, storage etc are taking nutrients from the food.

Did you know that to get the right level of vitamin E in your body you have to eat 15kgs of spinach a day whereas 50 years ago one serving would have been enough?

[roisin]

Personally I think there are good arguments for giving children vitamin supplements. Mine get a pretty good diet, and usually get 5-a-day fruit&veg, but it is particularly difficult to get a good quantity of iron in them, and studies show that lots of children are a little bit anaemic at any one time.

I give mine Sanatogen Kids A-Z

If you're just starting out, don't buy a big pack, as some children don't like the taste of some brands, and you'll just be wasting your money. I like these ones because you can swallow them or chew them. Ds1 didn't like the taste of the Boots ownbrand one.

[noddyholder]

I have always given ds a multi vit every day since about 5 or 6 and he is rarely ill.I stopped before xmas as we ran out and I just didn't replace them and in January he caught 2 really bad bugs at school and was off which is unheard of for him.Needless to say he is back on them they are bassetts i think littlee jellies

[Evesmama]

my dd's not 2 yet though, so what could i give her?the sanatagen looks good but from 3yrs up?

[Toothache]

Evesmama - I read up a bit about that and there is nothing to suggest that Vit C actually prevents colds. You need something that may boost your immune system, such as Zinc?

These retrovirus's are pretty ruthless and you will never be immune to all of them as they change (mutate) all the time. What you can do is reduce the symptoms and the length of time you feel ill. The infection of the common cold doesn't last any longer than 4 days, but if there are lots of different cold viruses floating around then you could catch one after the other.

Sods law eh?

[Evesmama]

i know
ive been getting them too, but as dd is a little titch its worse for her..just thought i could top her up with something healthy on top of her normal intake?

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[Jimjams]

Feel free to post my usana webppage- here ghosty.

I started looking into vitamins as ds1 eats absolutely nothing (toast, pancakes, gluten free pizza, butter, jam, cakes- that's it, dropped yoghurt and egg recently as well- aaggh ). No fruit, no veg. It was very difficult for me to find anything suitable for him as all the supermarket brands tend to come with sweetners which send him up the wall. Anyway Ghosty recommended usanimals - there's nothing in them that he can't have and best of all- he takes them. He also takes oils. He's ill at the moment (thought he had mumps but now think its just one of these lurgiues), but since starting school over a year ago on Sept 03 has only missed school once through illness, He's not getting it from his diet!

[ghosty]

Hello Jimjams
Just emailed you .... you are on the ball this morning aren't you??

[Jimjams]

If you start taking mineralls you have to be a bit careful as supplementing with one mineral can affect the absorption of another - that's why its best to go for a good quality joint multiviutamin and multimineral- as the ratios will be correct.

Also mutliviits/minerals shouldn't contain iron- only take if you are anaemic, otherwise leave well alone (I occasionally boost ds1's iron intake with spatone but generally leave well alone- depsite his appaling diet with no meat he's always ahsd normal haem levels when measured)

[Jimjams]

Told you I was back from maternity leave Ghosty

[Jimjams]

can't type though!

[Toothache]

I've got to agree that giving supplements can only do good. I was quite peeved with the GP. He made me feel like I was only giving him vitamins so that I didn't have to make an effort to feed him healthily!

The vitamins might not stop our kids catching lots of illnesses, but it will help with healthy teeth, better energy levels and help their little immune systems deal with those viruses quickly and effectively.

[Jimjams]

GP's don''t know much about nutrition toothache. Unfortunately the soil things are grown in (if indeed they are grown in soil- just started getting an organic box and was very interested to read about some modern farming practices) is so depleted these days that getting sufficient minerals is hard work (used to teach that as part of an A level course so not quacky stuff).

My old homeopathy tutor used to go on about nowadays you needed 4 apples a day to keep the dr away rather than the 1 needed in 1950.

[Evesmama]

think youve all helped me make my mind up!, dont know about bubbles?
will have to look for some for under 2 yrs though and no iron(thanks jimjams)

[ghosty]

FWIW Evesmama, I give my DD the Usanimals and she is 12 months old. I crush them up and put them in her breakfast.

[roisin]

Jimjams - why no iron? I read 'somewhere' [apologies for the vagueness] that over half children are slightly anaemic, and if they won't/don't eat red meat, it's hard to get it into them 'naturally'? DS2 was certainly low on iron both times he had blood tests.

Oh just found a 'vague reference' to the anaemic thing here

I'm not having a go btw, I am genuinely interested in your views.

Also: What are your views on to what age to continue to give fish oils? (for NT-ish children).

[nutcracker]

Mine have Superdrugs own Multi vitamin and minerals.

Could just be coincidence but we started giving them to them a couple of years ago and they definatly don't seem to get as ill as often.

[morningpaper]

My HV told me off for NOT giving dd vitamins!

Actually she is very rarely ill but her diet is so crap that I give her the liquid CD and E vitamins that the Health Visitors can give you free.

The Sanatgen syrup (I think) has artificial sweetener in it - lots of them have additives that might be best avoided.