To Supplement or Not to Supplement

By: Heather Dyson

Many parents come to me worried that their child is not getting all of the nutrients they need for proper growth and good health, especially if their child is a “picky” eater. There are a number of different vitamins and supplements available for kids in fun shapes and tasty flavors. But parents often wonder, “Is it worth it? Does my child really need it?”

Requirements for supplementation vary depending on the child’s age. Both breastfed and formula fed infants meet most of their nutritional needs. Once your child transitions to solid foods, it is important to offer a well-balanced diet, including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which will go a long way to helping them meet their nutritional needs. Even “picky eaters” often get enough vitamins and minerals, but a children’s multivitamin might not be a bad idea if you are worried your child does not eat enough variety. Just be sure to choose one that is made specifically for children, such as L'il Critters or Flintstones brands.

It is recommended that exclusively breastfed infants be supplemented with 1 mg/kg iron at about 4-6 months when it is believed that baby’s iron stores become depleted. Breastmilk does not contain iron in amounts that are recommended for infants. However, many feel that since breastmilk is a complete food for infants, supplementation is not necessary, especially if baby is starting solid foods. There are many foods that will provide iron for babies, including meats, eggs, dry beans (such as pinto, garbanzo, kidney, etc.) and fortified whole grain cereals. Formula is fortified with iron so supplementing is not necessary for formula fed babies.

Another vitamin that is often recommended for infants and children is Vitamin D. We get most of our Vitamin D from the sun, however in the fall through spring months we cannot get enough sun to make the Vitamin D we need. Also, the sunscreen we use to protect our skin from harmful rays also blocks the rays we need to make the vitamin. Infants can be supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D per day and children over the age of 2 with up to 800 IU per day. Be sure to buy a children’s version as Vitamin D supplements are sold in many different dosages. Enfamil’s Vitamin D drops are a good and safe choice.

Always speak to your pediatrician or a Registered Dietitian before supplementing your child or if you are concerned about your child meeting his or her nutritional needs.

About the Author: Heather Dyson is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian who currently focuses on counseling patients with a variety of health situations, and in ages ranging from infancy to elderly. Click here to learn more about Heather.

If I Could Offer You Only One Tip for the Future, Sunscreen Would Be It

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth
Until they've faded but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back
At photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now
How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked”

I am sure I now have you singing this song in your head. If not, it is called Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann. Google it if you don’t remember it – you will!

This song means more to me than it did when it came out. I was that girl that rarely wore sunscreen, didn’t care if my face, shoulders, legs, etc. got burnt. Sure, it didn’t feel great the next day, but the days following that I would turn tan. And unfortunately, sometimes I would peel but everyone peeled in the summer so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Now that I am a mommy, I would not let my children just bake in the sun like I did. I am more aware of the damaging effects of the sun and its UV rays, and I choose to always wear my sunscreen! Wearing sunscreen goes hand-in-hand with staying healthy, and as you probably know, the sun has short and long term damaging effects on our bodies. But getting my almost 3 year old to understand all of that and wear sunscreen is a different story. She just wants to play outside!

Last summer I used the spray kind of sunscreen on her. She was also a year younger and we know what a difference a year makes. But now that there are warnings about using the spray sunscreens, especially on children due to potentially breathing in the ingredients, I will have to make a switch to the regular lather on sunscreen.

But THIS year she is just squirmy, doesn’t want me to put ANYTHING on her and just RUNS away even when I try to grab her and cover her face and body. Sound like your kid too? I hope I am not alone here!

So what can I do to make sure I take care of her skin now and teach her the importance of being choosy with protecting her skin while in the sun?

• Put a hat on her – She does like hats, so anything that has a wider brim to help cover her face and neck will help keep the sun away.
• Wear swim shirts on her instead of just a regular swim suit – We have short and long sleeve swim shirts that have regular swim bottoms with them. The shirt helps cover her skin instead of leaving her shoulders, neck, arms and back exposed like a regular swim suit would.
• Pay attention to time in the sun – I am not expert, but I know that even after an hour in the sun we are getting burnt. I will have to watch the clock closely this summer to make sure we are not out in the sun all day, especially if it is a day I can’t get her to wear sunscreen.
• Check out these resources - Info from the CDC, KidsHealth.org, AboutKidsHealth.ca

What other advice do you have for me? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

      

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master and The Choosy Mommy for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.