Vitamins and minerals are nutrients you and your children need in very small amounts to keep bodies healthy. Most people can get the nutrients they need from eating a healthy, balanced diet, containing foods from all of the food groups, including a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

You may wish to consider buying an age-appropriate multivitamin for your child, to ensure your child is meeting their requirements. Key nutrients that often need a bit more attention in children are Calcium, Iron and Vitamin D.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Although most people are aware of how essential it is for strong teeth and bones, it is also required to maintain a normal heartbeat, muscle function and blood pressure. If there is not enough calcium in the diet, the body will remove this from the bones and over time, this can lead to bones becoming weak and brittle.

Requirements and sources

Calcium requirements vary throughout life, with more being needed during periods of rapid growth like infancy and adolescence.

Many people are aware that dairy is a great source of calcium, but there are also many dairy alternatives and other foods that are fortified with calcium that can contribute to meeting requirements.

The BDA Calcium resource shows us how much calcium is needed for each age group and contains a list of foods that contain calcium, as well as how much each of these provide. This can be a helpful tool to help you meet daily calcium requirements.

If requirements are unable to be met from the diet, an age-appropriate calcium supplement can be taken. There are many over the counter options available. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise on suitable options.

Absorption

Without adequate Vitamin D, even if calcium requirements are being met, calcium cannot be absorbed (and thus used) properly. The BDA vitamin D resource provides information on Vitamin D and how to ensure requirements are met.

It is important for children to get enough iron in their diet. Iron is needed to make red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. It also plays a role in brain development and the immune system.

Iron deficiency anaemia

If the iron levels in the body fall, children can develop iron deficiency anaemia. Sometimes children don't show any symptoms but common ones include:

  • Tiredness, pale skin, breathlessness, frequent infections, poor appetite or eating non-food items e.g. soil (called pica).

Children often develop iron deficiency anaemia due to a lack of iron in their diet. This may be because they have a poorly balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, consume a large amount of cow's milk (it does not contain iron and makes children feel full, so they eat less iron rich food), or due to heavy periods. It can also less frequently be caused by an underlying condition.

If you suspect your child has anaemia, speak to their GP who can diagnose this with a blood test and assess the possible cause. If a diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia is made, your child may be prescribed iron medication. This is best absorbed on an empty stomach, however this may make your child feel sick. Your child may prefer having it after a meal with something high in Vitamin C (like orange juice) to help with absorption. Your GP may advise an age-appropriate multivitamin, containing iron, to be taken daily after the course of iron medication is finished.

Requirements and sources

It is important to make sure your child has enough iron in their diet to try and prevent levels falling, even if iron medication is prescribed. North East London NHS Foundation Trust have a brilliant resource on iron requirements by age, including dietary sources.

There are 2 types of iron found in food - haem and non-haem iron. Haem iron is found in meat, chicken and fish and is absorbed best. Non-haem iron is found in plant sources and is not as well absorbed.

  • Haem iron sources: Red meats (e.g. beef, pork, lamb), offal (e.g. kidney and liver - limited to once a week), chicken, turkey, fish (especially oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines) and fish paste
  • Non-haem sources: Iron-fortified foods including breakfast cereals, breads and drinks, eggs, pulses, beans and lentils, hummus, Quorn, tofu, dried fruit (apricots), dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli), nuts, nut butters and seeds (consider choking risk and allergies if applicable)

Having a source of vitamin C with these foods, helps with iron absorption. Options include citrus fruits and juices (e.g. orange, grapefruit, satsuma), berries (blackcurrants, raspberries, strawberries), tropical fruits (mango, papaya, guava, kiwi), green vegetables (cabbage, broccoli), peppers and tomatoes.

Caffeine in tea, coffee and fizzy drinks can reduce iron absorption. Unprocessed bran, calcium supplements and antacids can have the same effect. Don't let your child consume these with/near iron rich meals, or supplements.

Avoid excessive cow's milk consumption, as this makes children feel full, reducing their intake of iron-rich foods. Consider buying an iron fortified milk (e.g. growing up/'big' milk) if your child drinks a lot of milk and is struggling to eat iron rich foods.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones due to helping calcium absorption and is important for muscle strength. Very few foods naturally contain enough vitamin D to meet our requirements. Our main source is through sunlight on our skin, in spring/summer months.

Requirements and sources

Although sunlight is our main source of vitamin D, some foods are also naturally high in vitamin D, or fortified. These include:

  • Oily fish (salmon, sardines and mackerel)
  • Egg yolks
  • Breakfast cereals fortified with Vitamin D (check food labels)
  • Mushrooms enriched with Vitamin D (check food labels)

All babies under one year should be given a supplement of 8.5 - 10μg (micrograms), daily, unless they have more than 500ml of fortified formula milk.

For children over one year the recommendation is 10μg (micrograms).

The Department of Health recommend all babies and children under the age of 5 are given an age-appropriate multivitamin containing vitamin D, to help them meet their requirements (unless having more than 500ml formula per 24 hours). All children and teenagers over the age of 5 should consider taking a daily supplement containing Vitamin D, especially during autumn and winter (October to March), where skin exposure to sunlight in the UK is less.