Should I Give My 13 Month Old Vitamins?

My 14 month son's pediatrician has been recommending that he take vitamins (Enfamil Tri Vi Sol...not Poly Vi Sol) for the past several months...probably since he was about 6 months old. He eats well and balanced but is still definitely on the small side. Tri Vi Sol is difficult to find. The CVS pharmacy orders it for me.

Ask your pediatrician. They don't usually recommend supplements until 2 years. Vitamin D3 liquid drops and fish oils (if no fish allergies are okay. But I was told to stay away from vitamins until at least 2 years old.

I think you should look into it some more and do some research online before you supplement.

I have been researching vitamins and minerals for several years. There is no doubt that vitamin and mineral deficiencies are at the core of many symptoms of illness and do indeed help people to feel better in some instances.

But, in a healthy individual without illness symptoms, who knows the need for the particular supplement. In many cases overdosing on them can have the same negative effects of deficicency. For an example, both deficiency in Calcium, and hypercalcemia, can cause Arthritis symptoms.

The interesting thing about vitamins is the way they interact and play on each other. Over cunsumption of one, can cause a problem with the other. This one needs that one for uptake. still others (calcium/magnesium) need eachother "in balance" to do what they are suppose to be doing for the body. There is only one way we can ensure this symphony is taking place, and that is by getting your requirements through (good) food. I am amazed at how the Lord puts the perfect complement of vitamins into each food so that balance and uptake is assured. Poor food and chemicals in drinks can leach out nutrients while delivering high levels of metals. (cellular bacteria loves heavy metals)

Scientists have written medical papers that excess folic acid, b12, vit D, and iron all feed bacteria. If the person is infected with the particular bacteria that feeds on any of these , disease follows. Now, keep in mind that many or most produced, Processed and milled foods have these added to them at high levels, and are also contaminated with metals, carcinogens, and fungal spores.

Iron has another issue. Unlike vit c or magnesium, in which the body can flush the extra out, Iron does NOT flush out. It accumulates in children and is highly dangerous, even fatal in some circumstances. You should never supplement Iron without doctor's approval, and even then, the doctor should be testing Iron levels before he gives a supplement! There is absolutely no need for excess Iron in the body. Baby formulas, infant cereals and poly visol drops with Iron, are in my opinion, not only un needed but contribute to disease. So many children have constipation due to Iron buildup from supps/iron enriched foods and low magnesium due to excessive calcium intake.(calcium is another one that they are adding to a lot of foods.Many of us already get so much calcium from our high milk product consumption that our magnesium levels are deficient).

Iodine is one supplement that I do feel is needed for health that our American diet is deficient in, because we dont eat the sea vegetables and fish that contain it. Look up iodine deficiency online.

Zinc- I will touch on this one since it was mentioned. Zinc elimination from the body is slow. Long periods of high zinc can cause zinc buildup and can cause anemia. It reduces ability to absorb Iron and antibiotics, and excessive amounts blocks copper assimilation.

If it were me, I would do as another mom suggested and choose the BEST most fresh food in it's natural form.(organics for produce). And, because of what I know about Soy, I would stay miles away from it. Avoid corn syrup, which is in everything processed. Then you should have no need to supplement unless there were symptoms of imbalance and/or I felt they might have a deficiency or a diet deficient in a certain need. Keep in mind that any medication a child takes: asprin, antibiotics, and heaven forbid Mylanta, Mirilax, and SSRI's (and most prescription drugs)cause malabsorption problems with nutrients and they indeed CAN become deficient under these circumstances.

My opinions are based on the medical research I have read. I advise you to use this information as a springboard to do your own research, and make your own decisions. Do not subsitiute my email for a doctor's advice.

God bless!
Gail

Hi D.,

Sounds like your son is right around the same age as mine. My doctor recommended for us to start giving him half a tablet of Flinstone's Complete daily by grinding it down to powder form and mixing it with things like applesauce. Hope this helps!

Alright, I'll be the one to bring up the other side of the story :) I would say it depends on his diet, general health, and whether of not he goes to daycare. I have given my kids vitamins consistently because it supports their immune systems and fills the gaps in their diets that inevitably show up.
My kids are generally healthy, but I know that most produce has very little of the nutrients they once had 50 years ago before farmers started using chemical fertilizers and stopped rotating their crops. Not to mention the pesticides and other pollutants our children's systems have to put up with on a daily basis. If your son eats a very balanced diet of whole, organic foods and rarely has refined sugars, junk food, or fast food, then no, he probably doesn't need vitamins. However, if he's eats like most kids, the vitamins could be helpful in keeping him healthy.
Another note, studies have shown that regular intake of vitamin C and zinc are helpful in warding off colds and flus, but not very helpful if you only start taking it once you are sick. Since most toddlers go to daycare, they are exposed to all kinds of illnesses, so I think it's not a bad idea to facilitate the immune system's ability to fight off the bugs.

Hi D.,

I have twin boys that are 12 months old and a five year old. I haven't added vitamins to my twin boys' diet. They eat a lot of fruits, veggies and protein. I have, however, added probiotics to their diet since they were about 3 months. With the probiotics, it helps their digestive systems to fully absorb the vitamins in the foods that they eat. Thus, it's a great boost for their immune system.

Also, since they turned 1 year old, I started them on whole goat milk instead of cow's milk. I've consulted a nutritionalist and the goat milk protein is more like human breast milk than cow's milk. I think the cow's milk can be more difficult to digest. So you might want to consider that also.

Hope this helps.
C.

My boy’s pediatrician did advise vitamin supplements. I did use the Poly Vi-Sol vitamins on both. I feel that vitamins are an extra insurance to fill in the nutritional gaps that may be in your diet.

I read this article once that said that the parents who want to put their children on vitamins are probably the kids who don't need it because their parents are obviously concientous (sp I know) of what kinds of nutrients their children need.

My pedi let me know we probablly didn't need to as long as they were on a balanced diet, but if it made me feel better (and it did) he reccomended poly vi- sol. We used it with both girls.

My son is 14 mons. and I still gives him the poly vi-sol every morning with his breakfast. I give him the vitamin about 5x/week in his oatmeal. He eats a healthy solid meal 3x/day, and 15-20 oz. milk and some snacks in between. He is about 25 lbs. now. He is healthy but i still gives him the vitamin anyway, it doesn't hurt getting extra vita.

My daughter's doctor gave her prescription vitamins that contain floirde. she has been on them since she was around 1 and is 5 now. No cavities and is tall and healthy. So we are happy with them. She is not the best eater. you may want to talk to your dr about it.
J.

When my daughter was about that age, we asked her doctor about vitamins. He told us that if she was eating healthy (which she was) there was no reason to supplement with vitamins. She is now a healthy nearly eight year old (next week). She didn't have her first chocolate until she was 2 1/2 (darn that Halloween) and didn't start having any soda until a few months ago.

I think you should ask your son's doctor to see what he thinks. I highly doubt that he will suggest supplementing with anything since your son seems to eat well.