Vitamins for Kids: What Parents Should Know First

Do kids need vitamins?

Yes. Every child needs vitamins and minerals. The real question is where they come from. For most kids, the answer is food, not a bottle.

The AAP puts it plainly: most healthy kids do not need extra vitamins or mineral supplements, and multivitamins are rarely needed when meals are balanced and varied. A balanced plate, in the AAP’s words, means fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein.

So when parents shop for vitamins for kids, the first step is not the store shelf. It is a look at what your child eats in a normal week.

There are real gaps, though. The AAP names a few cases where a supplement may help:

• A child who follows a very limited or restrictive diet
• A child with a medical condition that raises the risk of a nutrient shortfall
• A family that eats no meat, since vitamin D comes mainly from animal foods

Many families buy vitamins for kids anyway. In US data from 2017 to 2018, about 1 in 3 kids and teens had used one in the past 30 days, according to the CDC. Use was highest in kids ages 2 to 5.

Group	Used any supplement in the past 30 days
All kids and teens, 19 and under	34.0%
Under age 2	21.8%
Ages 2 to 5	43.3%
Ages 6 to 11	37.5%
Ages 12 to 19	29.7%

The rest of this guide to vitamins for kids covers the nutrients kids tend to miss, the foods that supply them, when a supplement fits, and what can go wrong.

Nutrients kids most often fall short on

When experts talk about vitamins for kids, a few nutrients come up again and again in US health data. Here is what each one does and how much kids need.

Calcium

Calcium builds and keeps strong bones. Almost all of the calcium in the body is stored in bones and teeth. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists children and teens age 4 to 18 as a group that often gets less than it needs.

• Ages 4 to 8: 1,000 mg a day
• Ages 9 to 18: 1,300 mg a day

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. In children, a lack of vitamin D causes rickets, a disease that makes bones soft, weak and painful, says the NIH.

Kids age 1 and up need 600 IU (15 mcg) a day, according to both the AAP and the NIH. Babies under 1 need 400 IU (10 mcg).

Some kids are more likely to run low:

• Kids who rarely get sun on their skin
• Kids with darker skin, which makes less vitamin D from sunlight
• Kids with obesity
• Kids with conditions that limit fat absorption, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease

Potassium and fiber

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans name calcium, potassium, fiber and vitamin D as nutrients of public health concern for the general US population. That list covers everyone, not only kids.

Potassium and fiber are mostly a food job. Most supplements give only small amounts of potassium, no more than 99 mg per serving, says the NIH. Most vitamins for kids will not close that gap. Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains will.

Iron for teen girls

Iron needs jump in the teen years, and more for girls. Teen girls 14 to 18 need 15 mg a day. Teen boys need 11 mg. The NIH lists teen girls with heavy periods as a group more likely to have trouble getting enough iron.

Food first: where kids get these nutrients

Food is the main source of vitamins for kids. Here are foods the NIH and MedlinePlus name for each one.

Nutrient	Foods that provide it
Calcium	Milk, yogurt and cheese; canned sardines and salmon with bones; kale, broccoli and bok choy; fortified juices, soy and almond drinks, some tofu and cereals
Vitamin D	Fortified milk (about 120 IU per cup); fatty fish like salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel; small amounts in egg yolks, cheese and beef liver
Iron	Lean meat, seafood and poultry; iron fortified cereals and breads; white beans, lentils, kidney beans, peas and spinach; nuts and raisins
Potassium	Bananas, raisins, prunes, dried apricots and orange juice; potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli and acorn squash; lentils, beans, soybeans and nuts; milk and yogurt; meat, poultry and fish
Fiber	Oat bran, barley, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds; wheat bran and whole grains; fruits and vegetables

A few simple swaps cover a lot of ground. Milk or yogurt at breakfast, beans in a lunch wrap and fruit as a snack all count. If you want to dig deeper, see our guide to foods and growth and our look at milk and growth.

Vitamins for kids and normal growth

Many parents look at vitamins for kids because they worry about height. Here is what the science says.

Genes set most of a child’s height. Scientists estimate that about 80 percent of height comes from the DNA a person inherits, says MedlinePlus. The same page notes that a well fed, healthy and active child is likely to be taller as an adult than a child with a poor diet.

Put simply, good food and good health let a child reach the height their genes allow. Calcium and vitamin D matter here because they help build strong bones. No vitamin, mineral or gummy can push a child past their genetic range.

Our growth guides go deeper:

• Growth gummies for kids: what is inside them and what they can and cannot do
• Height growth supplements: what the labels claim and what the evidence shows
• How to grow taller: what you can and cannot change
• Growth spurts: when they happen and what is normal
• Growth plates: how bones grow and when they close
• When do guys stop growing?
• Sleep and growth

When a supplement makes sense

Vitamins for kids in supplement form are a tool for a real gap, not a daily habit for every child. The AAP says it can help when a child is not getting enough from food. Common reasons:

• A very limited diet. A child who eats only a handful of foods may miss key nutrients.
• A medical condition. Some conditions raise the risk of a shortfall. Your pediatrician can tell you which nutrients to watch.
• A meat-free diet. Vitamin D is mainly found in animal foods. The AAP lists mushrooms, tofu, and fortified non-dairy milk, orange juice and breakfast cereal as non-animal sources.

Most kids who take a supplement were not told to by a doctor. The CDC report cites an earlier study, using data from 2011 to 2014, in which only 18 percent of kids and teens who used a supplement took it because a health care provider recommended it. That is a good reason to ask first.

If you are weighing a growth gummy, see our pick below.

Safety: what can go wrong

Vitamins for kids look like candy, and that is part of the risk. Here is what to watch.

Iron poisoning in young children

Sugar in gummies

The AAP says to avoid added sugar for children under 2. For kids 2 and up, aim for less than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugar a day. A gummy with added sugar counts toward that total. Read more in our guide to sugar in kids’ vitamins.

Going over the upper limit

Many nutrients have an upper limit, the most a child should get in a day. That limit counts food, fortified foods and supplements together. A multivitamin can raise the chance of getting too much iron, vitamin A, zinc, niacin or folic acid, says the NIH. Two vitamins for kids taken together, or a multivitamin plus fortified cereal, can add up fast. See the table in the next section.

Megadoses

More is not better. The AAP warns that large amounts of vitamins A or D can be toxic.

• Too much preformed vitamin A can cause severe headache, blurred vision, nausea and dizziness. In severe cases it can lead to coma and death (NIH).
• Very high vitamin D levels can cause kidney failure, irregular heartbeat and even death (NIH).
• Too much zinc can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, upset stomach, vomiting and loss of appetite (NIH).

Weak rules before sale

The AAP notes that the FDA does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness before they are sold. Some bottles also lack child-resistant caps. Check the cap, and store the bottle up high either way.

Daily amounts and upper limits by age

These numbers come from the NIH and apply to vitamins for kids from every source. The upper limit counts everything your child gets in a day: food, drinks, fortified foods and every supplement.

Nutrient	Daily amount	Upper limit (all sources)
Vitamin D	600 IU (15 mcg), ages 1 to 18	2,500 IU (63 mcg), ages 1 to 3; 3,000 IU (75 mcg), ages 4 to 8; 4,000 IU (100 mcg), ages 9 to 18
Calcium	1,000 mg, ages 4 to 8; 1,300 mg, ages 9 to 18	2,500 mg, ages 1 to 8; 3,000 mg, ages 9 to 18
Iron	10 mg, ages 4 to 8; 8 mg, ages 9 to 13; 11 mg, boys 14 to 18; 15 mg, girls 14 to 18	40 mg, ages 1 to 13; 45 mg, ages 14 to 18

Vitamin A and zinc show up in many multivitamins. These are the upper limits to keep in mind.

Nutrient	Upper limit, ages 4 to 8	Upper limit, ages 9 to 13
Vitamin A (preformed)	900 mcg	1,700 mcg
Zinc	12 mg	23 mg

Supplements for teens (ages 14 to 18)

The rules for vitamins for kids change in the teen years. Calcium stays high at 1,300 mg a day through age 18. Iron needs split by sex: 11 mg for boys and 15 mg for girls, per the NIH.

Upper limits rise too. At 14 to 18, the iron limit is 45 mg a day, the zinc limit is 34 mg (NIH) and the preformed vitamin A limit is 2,800 mcg (NIH).

Teens often pick their own food and sometimes their own supplements. A teen girl with heavy periods, a teen on a meat-free diet, or a teen who skips meals is worth a talk with the doctor. Teen athletes who use sports products should count those in the daily total too.

When to ask a pediatrician

How to read a kids vitamin label

We do not rank vitamins for kids in this guide. Instead, here is what to check on any label. Our full guide to reading a supplement label walks through every line.

Where to go next

This page is the hub for our guides on vitamins for kids, growth and nutrition. Pick the one that fits your question.

• Growth and height: growth gummies for kids, height growth supplements, how to grow taller, growth spurts, growth plates and when guys stop growing
• Food: foods and growth and milk and growth
• Sugar: sugar in kids’ vitamins
• Sleep: sleep and growth and sleep gummies
• Labels: how to read a supplement label

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