- With Mayo Clinic emeritus consultant
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Jay Hoecker, M.D.
Dr. Jay Hoecker, an emeritus member of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, brings valuable expertise to health information content on primary care pediatrics. He has a particular interest in infectious diseases of children.
He's a Fort Worth, Texas, native, certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics and 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."
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Healthy cooking (6)
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Healthy menus and shopping strategies (7)
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Question
Multivitamins: Do young children need them?
Should I give multivitamins to my preschooler, who's a picky eater?
Answer
from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.
Experts disagree on whether multivitamins are necessary for children. Many young children are picky eaters, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have nutritional deficiencies. Many common foods — including breakfast cereal, milk and orange juice — are fortified with important nutrients, such as vitamin D and calcium. And children don't need large amounts of vitamins and minerals. So your child may be getting more vitamins and minerals than you think.
Still, it's a good idea to consult your child's doctor if you have concerns about whether your child is getting the recommended level of vitamins and minerals. A multivitamin might be appropriate for your child if he or she:
- Has an eating disorder
- Has been diagnosed with failure to thrive
- Doesn't eat regular or well-balanced meals
- Doesn't get enough vitamin D through diet or sunlight exposure
- Has certain chronic diseases or food allergies
- Has a restrictive diet, such as a strict vegan diet
Keep in mind that certain vitamins and minerals can interact with medications your child may take, and that megadoses of vitamins and minerals can be toxic. Follow these precautions when giving your youngster multivitamins:
- Make sure the multivitamin is designed for your child's age group.
- Choose a multivitamin that provides 100 percent of the daily value for all vitamins and minerals.
- Store multivitamins out of your child's reach and make it clear that they aren't candy.
- Don't use multivitamins as a replacement for proper nutrition. Continue to offer your child healthy meals and snacks.
Percent Daily Value: What does it mean?
- Duryea T, et al. Dietary recommendations for toddlers, preschool, and school-age children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Wagner CL, et al. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics. 2008;122:1142.
- Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Supplements ... do kids need them? USDA. http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/nibbles/supplements.pdf. Accessed June 22, 2010.
- Vitamin supplements and children. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/nutrition/pages/Vitamin-Supplements-and-Children.aspx. Accessed June 22, 2010.
- Vitamin and mineral supplementation in kids. American Medical Association. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/163/2/192.pdf. Accessed June 22, 2010.
- Shaikh U, et al. Vitamin and mineral supplement use by children and adolescents in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2009;163:150.
- Hoecker J (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. July 25, 2010.
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