Vitamins for children: Tips for choosing

Vitamins are special substances without food value: absence of calories, proteins, carbohydrate and fats. However, our body cannot exist without these components, as they control metabolism, being responsible for healthy organs and tissues, functioning of nervous, endocrine and the other systems. The main thing is to have enough vitamins (as a reserve is better) in case you organism needs to work hard.

Most vitamins are not synthesized in the organism as they are consumed with foodstuff by way of food additives. This is important in a period of an active growth, beginning from 2-3 years old. With the lapse of time our body is probably short of vitamins for a full-grown development, especially if kids don’t eat everything, they are subject to have stresses and physical activities. Then, parents should think over a complex with vitamins additive intake.

Vitamins intake indication

Strong immune system, good health and physical activity are important for a kid at 3 years old. This period is characterized by diverse social life of children as they start visiting kindergartens, cinemas, cafes, theatres, parties and communicate with each other. There is a small risk to catch an acute respiratory infection, a cold or to overtire oneself. That is why children fall in with some disease more often.

This period a child needs to eat wholesome food and take vitamins in addition in some cases. If a kid is short of them, he or she has a dull mood and gets irritated more often; a child may also have physical and neuropsychic developmental retardation, poor appetite and sleep.

Parents try to enrich a child’s ration by all means: they add nuts and cereals, fresh verdure and fruitage. It should be noted, that topical fruits cover child’s needs in case of a good appetite. However, there is no benefit from the imports ones, stored for a long period. Thus, we have hidden symptoms of vitamins deficit firstly; then such symptoms become more explicit ones.

The lack of vitamins

Usually, we believe a customary diet is enough for our children as it rich in all important components, including vitamins with microelements. However, kids’ feeding has its remarks. First of all, general diet excludes lots of infant products, rich in additive vitamins. Adult food contains scarcity of vitamins through the long-term heat treatment of incorrect cooking and wrong combination of products. Most vegetables and fruits don’t contain enough minerals and vitamins; they may be stored and cooked wrongly and ruin vitamins.

Also, modern children suffer from low-level synthesis of vitamins to be self-produced by an organism. That is why, a problem of vitamins deficit of kids becomes more and more actual and kids start taking medicines.

How to choose medicines?

In case of deficit of vitamins, parents apply to drugstores in order to choose a proper drug. It should be pointed a doctor only may choose a medicine, based on kid’s case history, specifics of development, taking into account possible contraindications and side effects. Overdosage of some drugs is extremely dangerous affects strongly.

Types of vitamins

Industrial forms of vitamins are divided into several groups:

• Monocomponents to contain 1 type of vitamins (for example K/A/E or D vitamins, ascorbic acid);
• Multicomponents (polyvitamins) to contain more than 7-8 substances;
• Vitamin-mineral complexes to contain polyvitamins and mineral components as well.

Vitamin drugs differ in edition form:

• Pills;
• Syrups;
• Drops;
• Chewable tablets and pastilles;
• Lozenges;
• Gels;
• Solution powder and effervescent tablet;
• Fruit-jelly pills.

How to choose and take medicines?

A doctor may propose you several types of vitamins, different in price and edition form. Choose the most proven and well-known pharmaceutical drugs. Before you buy it, be sure this medicine becomes your child’s age perfectly. Give your preferences to exact dosages forms: pastilles, lozenges and etcetera.

Medicines for children usually have pleasant flavor and smell thanks to pigments and aroma components. If your child suffers from allergy, check these components as they may be contraindicated because of strong pigments and chemical fillers.

Buy vitamins in proven drugstores only to avoid fakes. Do not buy medicines through the internet and at the second-hand market. It is very dangerous. Such additives may affect your child’s health!

If you bought them for the first time, follow thoroughly the condition of your child for any allergic reaction. That’s why stint you kid in new products feeding at 1^st days. Watch its stool and urination as multivitamin preparations may affect it too.

Keep drugs out of children’s rich! A taste of pills attract them, however the excess of medicine may result in serious consequences such as poisoning. All vitamins have to be measured out.

A note to remember!

Start taking vitamins before a catarrhal season. May-June and September-October is the most suitable period to begin the course. Do not take them permanently. This is the most wide-spread mistakes of parents. Usually, a course lasts within 2 weeks with 2-3 months interval. You may repeat it if it is needed. The excess of water-soluble vitamins disappears with urine; liposoluble ones are usually accumulated in toxic concentration.

In summer time one should eat a lot of natural vitamins, such as: vegetables, fruits, verdure. Combine vitamins intake with physical activity and walking. The best method is to take vitamins and temper your body at the same time.

 Pharmacy production

The market to provide vitamins is too dynamic one: some brands lock in the market; the others leave it through the bad commentaries and side effects. Besides, medicines often undergo re-registration and vacate their places for some period.

There are different drugs developed for each age:

Children under 1 year of age do not need vitamins, except D vitamin (sometimes A vitamin).

They need the next drugs to be taken:

Children from 1 year of age should take:                                                                   ____       

Children from 2 years of age should take (apart from the previous ones):                                  _____                                _____________________________________        

Children from 3 years of age may take practically all medicines of the largest pharmaceutical companies:        _                                                                                          _