Multi-Vitamins for Kids

[Mehita]

I was reading this book... "What's Eating Your Child" by Kelly Dorfman, a pretty famous nutritionist, and she was discussing multivitamins. She listed the things she thinks are important in a multi:

• Vit C - 100mg or more if you can find it
• Vit E
• Vit A - 2500 iu or less
• Full set of B vit - 1, 2, 5 ,6, 12, niacin, folic
• Calcium - at least 800mg
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Magnesium
• Chromium
• Vit D - at least 800 iu

She said most gummy's (which, of course, is what DS is on) don't have many of these. I should note, too, that this list if for the average kid, not necessarily and IBD child.

My question is which (US) brand of multi-vitamin do you use for your kids? I'm also looking for something that is gluten free and with iron as well. Any suggestions?

 

[Tesscorm]

Mehita, this was discussed in another thread a while back... it might give you some info...

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=46805&highlight=vitamins

 

[DanceMom]

GI recently recommended a multi-vitamin for A so I just buy what is on sale. Right now she has Disney Gummies. It has most of the things you listed, but the vitamin c & d are considerably lower. A is a really good eater though so I don't worry.

 

[Jmrogers4]

We use One A Day Teen Advantage for Boys. Here is what it has.

Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Caplet
Servings Per Container: 80

Amount per Serving % Daily Value


Vitamin A 20% as Beta-Carotene 2500 IU 50

Vitamin C 120 mg 200

Vitamin D 400 IU 100

Vitamin E 30 IU 100

Vitamin K 25 mcg 31

Thiamin (B1) 3.75 mg 250

Riboflavin (B2) 4.25 mg 250

Niacin (B3) 30 mg 150

Vitamin B6 5 mg 250

Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin 400 mcg 100

Vitamin B12 15 mcg 250

Biotin 300 mcg 100

Pantothenic acid 10 mg 100

Calcium Elemental 200 mg 20

Iron 9 mg 50

Magnesium 100 mg 25

Zinc 15 mg 100

Selenium 20 mcg 29

Copper 2 mg 100

Manganese 2 mg 100

Chromium 120 mcg 100

 

[Tesscorm]

Don't remember, does your son drink any supplemental shakes? They will also provide him with vitamins/minerals and may make up for any missing in his multi.

If he is on shakes, do keep those amounts in mind as well... as S was on supplemental EN, I took into account what he got from EN when adding additional D and calcium.

 

[Mehita]

He hasn't been supplementing with drinks for about a month or so. Just sort of lost the habit with the craziness of summer. In the past I would pack an Ensure or Boost in his lunch as his beverage. Good point to keep that in mind, Tess.

I might look into the One a Day Teen. Jmrogers, do you happen to know if its gluten free? Does it say anything on the bottle?

 

[crohnsinct]

Yep! One a Day Teen is what our doc recommended also but they are HUGE so back to Flinstones for O.

 

[Jmrogers4]

I'll look as soon as I get home, Mehita. They are on the large side but smaller than the Pentasa, Apriso so he was okay with it

 

[Mehita]

What do you guys think of these:
http://www.rainbowlight.com/childrens-vitamins-active-health-teen-multivitamin.aspx

 

[Jenn]

We use Centrum Kids chewable. Decent taste, decent coverage of trace minerals. Nutritionist recommended Carlson Labs, but they are hard to find and were even out of stock when I tried to order online one time. Label is here: http://www.centrum.com/centrum-kids#chewables

 

[Mehita]

Centrum & Flintstones contain wheat

DS also has Celiac so we need gluten free.

 

[Jmrogers4]

One A Day says contains Soy. Website for One A Day says

Q. How much gluten does this contain?
Ans. We do not add any gluten to our products. However, we cannot guarantee that all raw materials are 100% gluten-free.

 

[my little penguin]

Kirkmans is gluten free I think
http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/280/1/ChildrensMulti-Vitamin-Mineral-Hypoallergenic/

Most of the allergy kids take it

 

[DustyKat]

Spooky, just answered this another thread. :lol:

I personally don't believe in multivitamins but that is just me. I prefer to supplement to deficiencies as a multivitamin will not give the amount that is required to treat my children with Crohn's.

They have the following regularly tested.

Iron Studies
B12
Vitamin D
Zinc
Magesium

I do not know Sarah's full regime but I do know she has deficiencies in B12, Folate and Vit D and she supplements those plus others.

Matt is deficient in B12, Vit D, Zinc and Magnesium and he supplements these.

Dusty. xxx

 

[araceli]

I use Prenatal Vitamins for my kids. Pediatricians recommended. They have Iron.

 

[Farmwife]

Interesting.

Grace's GP is also a NP. She really knows her vitamins and such. She travels all over the country listening to experts talk about nutrients. She also agrees with Dusty's view point. She told me that we need to track Grace's levels and adjust if she needs changes. Right now Grace is taking zinc, vit. D and calcium because those levels are to low. Her vitamin D has been altered 3 times. But this is just my opinion.:hug: