Should I be giving vitamins?

[babybouncer]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this, sorry. I went to see the Health Visitor for the 6-12 month checks this week (DS is 15 months) and was advised that he should be taking vitamin drops every day.

Firstly, should he? Really? He eats fine (well, hoover days and rejection days, like most toddlers, I'd imagine) and has a varied diet which the HV was happy with. But she suggested that recent research has found that all children under 2 (including even the best eaters) need extra vitamins.

Secondly, it's not going to be easy to give them to him. For a start I'll have to try and find a way go and buy the drops (available from the health centre only) even though we're both full-time workers. But more than that, DS eats breakfast, lunch and dinner at nursery (only milk/snacks before and after) so I won't be able to "just drop some on his cereal" as suggested. In fact, if all toddlers need this, might the nursery be doing this anyway?

What's your experience?

This does seem to be official NHS advice (eg see here, and it was in the NHS weaning information I was given, but I have never given my DD vitamin drops (2.4 yrs, exclusively BF until 12 months) as she has a balanced diet, isn't unduely fussy, eats fruit and veg etc. And I generally don't take any supplements or medicines myself unless I really need them. As far as I can tell, DD is fully healthy (growing well, looks perky, full of energy etc).

I'm sure some parents do and some don't, and you just need to weigh up the risks and benefits for your child of taking them vs not taking them.

Baby vitamin drops are available from Boots etc - Abidec is the brand I've tried with my DD (8 months) as they come with a syringe so I thought they'd be the easiest to give, but be warned, they taste foul and she normally spits them out.

Otherwise I think you can get syrups etc, just have a look on the shelves, there's quite a range.

Or don't bother if you don't think he needs them