I’ve not been giving my son vitamins

[lemons5555]

My son is 13 months old and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve consistently been forgetting to give him the syringe of vitamins he needs from 12 months onwards. I bought a bottle but just keep forgetting to administer.

I now feel dreadful and worry I could have harmed him because he’s not getting what he needs thanks to my incompetence I don’t think he’s getting enough calcium either as he refuses cows milk and only has one bottle of formula plus a yoghurt or two per day.

So worried I’m letting him down or even damaging his development

When mine were small I don’t think many of my friends were giving theirs vitamins either (nor me).

You can squirt the syringe into his food so maybe leave it near his breakfast bowl?
Please don’t feel ashamed,you are being way too hard on yourself.
I don’t know how much calcium a 13 month old needs,probably not as much as you think once their on 3 meals a day,have a google.

It’s 360mg a day of calcium, which is actually quite a lot if they won’t drink cows milk!

The only vitamins we give DS are vitamin D drops, and as far as I know, many babies and toddlers in this country (outside UK) aren’t getting vitamin supplements at all.
Hope that makes you feel better.

Maybe speak to your public health nurse or gp but formula plus two yoghuts sounds plenty to me. I give mine vitamins but Ieave them in the knife and fork drawer and remember when I get their breakfast if that sort of routine would help.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/vitamins-for-children/

I just checked my toddlers formula package and it says that it contains vitamin D, A and B1 and B2. We’re not in the UK but I assume most countries have the same standards when it comes to baby and toddler formula so I would check the package of the formula you give your DC (if you use this) and also ask your HV.

I never gave my DC vitamins. They seem fine. I really wouldn't worry.

If he’s on cows milk in his cereal etc you can buy arla big milk which has added vitamins to it already x

Unless he has a restricted diet then the only vitamin you really need to give him is vit D, and now its summer there's less of a need for that if he's outside every day. I forgot all the time with DD and she is healthy enough, with DS I remember every day as its become routine - vit D and probiotic after breakfast.

Oh I'm pretty rubbish with the vitamin D drops too If you're otherwise keeping him safe, fed, warm and happy then you're definitely not incompetent!

Could you come up with a way to help you remember? Normally I see the drops once DD is in bed so I put them out with her breakfast bowl so I remember in the morning. Alternatively set an alarm or reminder on your phone?

Will your DS eat cheese? That's a great source of calcium. There's also a huge amount of calcium in tinned fish with edible bones such as salmon. Mash it all up and it's lovely in a sandwich or on a jacket potato. There's also calcium in foods you wouldn't expect such as leafy green veg. If you are concerned about his calcium intake from dairy maybe look at which other foods contain calcium and see if he's eating enough of these or if you could increase the amount of these in his diet

I've never given a vitamin to any of my kids. They go outdoors a lot, and eat fruit and veg and cheese and yogurt amongst other healthy stuff. I don't worry about it. Maybe I should?

It wasn’t a big thing when my kids were little, so don’t worry.
Keep the vitamins somewhere that you go every day, like next to the tea bags.

I have 2 toddlers and it hadn't even occurred to me to give them vitamins. Oops. Might have to go and buy some tomorrow...

Formula has vitamins in it. I think from memory if he's having 500ml a day then you don't need to give a vitamin on top. I'd make it part of your routine once he's fully off formula, it's easy enough just put it in his milk or water or whatever you decide to give him.

No need to fret, you haven't hurt him.

Could you leave them next to the kettle.
That works for me with my dog's supplements.
Sorry, I'm not comparing your dc to a dog.

Vitamin D is really the only important one.if he is eating enogh fruit and veg.
Everyone needs vitamin D in this country, less so in summer, but that depends on time out doors, sunscreen, clothing etc
The incidence of rickets has been on the rise for a long time, so speak to your HV about the current vutamin D policy.

Mine is 2 years old and I've literally never heard or been told of giving her vitamins...oops. If you want to up his calcium you could try more Yoghurt and anything cheesy

I tried but like you OP, wasn’t consistent in giving vitamins and when I did he would often miss some as I was mixing it in food and milk.

He gets plenty of time outside each day, so I’m confident he gets lots of vit D. He has seemingly endless energy and is a healthy boy so I don’t think I’ve done him any harm.

Don’t forget vitamins are to compensate for a lack of something, lots of kids have a bland diet etc. If your DC is having a healthy diet with lots of fruit and veggies he should be fine.

Re calcium, cheese sauce with pasta, over fish etc I find really helps to up the intake. My little one didn’t drink milk on its own for a long while. So I used it in cooking.

Ours never had additional vitamins. They were great eaters and preferred growing up milk to cows milk until 2 so they didn't need (nor like the liquid) vitamins. They have the odd vitamin now but certainly not daily and all growing/developing well.

My dd is 3. She’s never had additional vitamins.
Don’t worry op.

If it helps in anyway, whenever I've researched taking vitamins as an adult there is very little evidence to suggest that they are effective/properly absorbed. Our bodies are designed to get this stuff from food which is 'pre-engineered' so has all the components that are required to work together (i.e. you need vitamin c to properly absorb iron etc).

I really wouldn't worry that you've done him any harm. I think these things are given out on a might help but won't do any harm basis.

For example, many people on here have been told by HCPs that pregnacare is OTT and just gives you expensive wee.

Has he always been formula fed? If so that has all the vitamins he needed when he was drinking more than 500ml a day. Honestly I wouldn't worry, I'm always forgetting with my son (or I just can't be dealing with the fact he's going to spit it everywhere and it'll stain everything...). Try and work it in to your day somewhere you're less likely to forget, like as part of the bedtime routine, but don't beat yourself up if you forget. We have a million and one things to do and remember as parents and giving vitamins isn't top of the list.

I never gave mine vitamins and they never drank milk after they stopped bottles at around 12 months, just yogurts and some milk in cereal. They are both strapping, healthy adults now. Please don't worry about this.

I give mine her vitamins after I brush her teeth in the morning, it helped to have another task associated with it and storing the syringe in the bathroom gave me a visual cue as well. Having said that it took a while before it became routine - now I just need to remember to take my own vitamins

I am sure it won't have made any major difference if you have been giving them balanced meals / formula etc. There are so many things to think about when looking after little ones, this is an easy thing to forget!