Appropriate Vitamins for Kids

Vitamins are a part of a normal and healthy diet for most children.  Children do not really need to take additional vitamin supplements  unlike the adults and they are only prescribed if necessary.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “it does not support the use of vitamin supplements for children unless medically necessary”.  They also note that large doses of Vitamin A, C and D can be toxic to kids.  If a child is eating a well-balanced diet, then he or she is probably getting sufficient amounts of vitamins for a healthy growth and development.

VITAMIN A – helps keep a child’s skin, teeth and eyes healthy and strong.  It also helps with the immune system function of a child.

VITAMIN B1 and B2 – Thiamine (B1) helps a child’s brain, heart, muscles and nervous system function properly.  The main function of Thiamine is to convert carbohydrates into energy.  Riboflavin (B2) together with B1 converts carbohydrates.

• Teen girls – 1.3 mg daily
• Teen boys – 1.7 mg daily
• Babies below 1 year old – .4 to .5 mg daily
• 1 – 3 years old – .8 mg daily
• 4 – 6 years old – 1.1 mg daily
• 7 – 10 years old – 1.2 mg daily

VITAMIN B3 – Niacin (B3) just like Thiamine and Riboflavin, helps convert energy.  The only difference is that it makes use of sugar and carbohydrates.

• Teen girls – 15 mg daily
• Teen boys – 19 mg daily
• Babies below 1 year old – 5 – 6 mg daily
• 1 – 3 years old – 9 mg daily
• 4 – 6 years old – 12 mg daily
• 7 – 10 years old – 13 mg daily

VITAMIN B6 – Pyridoxine keeps the brain functioning and firing properly and boosts the body’s immune system too.  Aids in the breakdown of amino acids to proteins and adds an extra boost of energy for the kids.

• Teen girls – 1.6 mcg daily
• Teen boys – 2 mcg daily
• Babies below 1 year old – 5 – .3 – .6 mcg daily
• 1 – 3 years old – 4 – 6 mcg daily
• 4 – 6 years old – 1. 1 mcg daily
• 7 – 10 years old – 1.4 mcg daily

VITAMIN B12 – keeps the blood healthy and is critically needed in the development of the sheaths for the nervous system.

• Teen girls – 2 mcg daily
• Teen boys – 2 mcg daily
• Babies below 1 year old – .3 – .7  mcg daily
• 1 – 3 years old – .7 mcg daily
• 4 – 6 years old – 1 mcg daily
• 7 – 10 years old – 1.4 mcg daily

VITAMIN C & VITAMIN D – Vitamin D helps the body absorb the needed calcium from foods while the vitamin C boosts the kids’ immune system.

• Teen girls – 60 mg daily
• Teen boys – 60 mg daily
• Babies below 1 year old – 30 – 35 mg daily
• 1 – 3 years old – 40 mg daily
• 4 – 10 years old – 45 mg daily

VITAMIN E & VITAMIN F – Vitamin E is needed to keep cells healthy and vitamin F or Folic Acid is needed for the production of healthy DNA and red blood cells.

VITAMIN K – it is need for the clotting of the blood.