- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus consultant in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to MayoClinic.com in general and primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
Dr. Hoecker, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, is certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was trained at Washington University's St. Louis Children's Hospital, and in infectious diseases at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He has been with Mayo Clinic since 1989.
"The World Wide Web is revolutionizing the availability and distribution of information, including health information about children and families," Dr. Hoecker says. "The evolution of the Web has included greater safety, privacy and accuracy over time, making the quality and access to children's health information immediate, practical and useful. I am happy to be a part of this service to patients from a trusted name in medicine, to use and foster all the good the Web has to offer children and their families."
Nutrition basics (21)
- Diet soda: Is it bad for you?
- Water softeners: How much sodium do they add?
- Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (8)
- Diverticulitis diet: Can certain foods trigger an attack?
- Butter vs. margarine: Which is better for my heart?
- Canola oil: Does it contain toxins?
- see all in Healthy diets
Healthy cooking (10)
- Lentils: How do I cook with them?
- Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- see all in Healthy cooking
Healthy menus and shopping strategies (6)
- Calories in sushi: What are the low-cal options?
- Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
- Buying beef? A guide to choosing the leanest cuts
- see all in Healthy menus and shopping strategies
Nutritional supplements (15)
- Vitamin water: Better than plain water?
- Ground flaxseed: Better than whole?
- Vitamin C: Can too much be harmful?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
Multivitamins: Do young children need them?
My preschooler is a very picky eater. I wonder if he would benefit from multivitamins?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Experts disagree on whether daily multivitamins are necessary for all children.
Many young children are picky eaters, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll develop nutritional deficiencies. Children don't need large amounts of vitamins and minerals. In addition, many common foods are fortified with important nutrients — so your son may be getting more vitamins and minerals than you think.
Still, it's a good idea to consult your son's doctor. If your son regularly omits a particular food group from his diet — such as fruit, green or yellow vegetables, or dairy products — or if the doctor is concerned that your son isn't getting adequate vitamins and minerals, he or she may recommend a daily multivitamin. Choose multivitamins designed specifically for children. Follow the recommended dose, and remind your son that multivitamins aren't candy. Make sure an adult dispenses the multivitamins, even if your son seems responsible enough to do so himself. And remember, multivitamins don't replace proper nutrition. Continue to offer your son healthy meals and snacks.
If you choose to give your son multivitamins, make sure they contain vitamin D. A vitamin D deficiency can impair a child's bone development. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day — taken either as a vitamin D supplement or in a daily multivitamin — for all breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants and all children who consume less than 32 ounces or 1,000 milliliters of vitamin-D fortified formula or milk a day.
Next questionCalcium supplements: Should they be taken with meals?
- Gartner LM, et al. Vitamin D deficiency clinical report. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3b111/4/908. Accessed July 21, 2008.
- Supplements...do kids need them? USDA, Food and Nutrition Service. http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/Nibbles/supplements.pdf#xml=http://65.216.150.153/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=child+vitamins&pr=FNS&order=r&cq=&id=4592c3ec93. Accessed July 21, 2008.
- Duryea TK. Dietary recommendations for toddlers and preschool children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 21, 2008.
- Wagner CL, et al. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2008;122(5):1142-1152.
