Healthy Children Shouldn't Take Dietary Supplements, Experts Say

In examining the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Survey of more than 10,000 children, researchers found that dietary supplements, usually multi-vitamins or multi-minerals, are a regular part of many children's diets. The study, announced in an Oct. 5 press release, was conducted by researchers at RTI International and the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.

The study found that nearly 50 percent of children 4-to-8 years old take dietary supplements, but only about 25 percent of children 14 to 18 years old take supplements. The researchers also found that children in higher-income families; children who spent less time watching television, playing video games, or on the computer; and children in smoke-free households were more likely to use supplements.

In an online, NutriWatch article, "Promotions for Kid's Dietary Supplements Leave Sour Taste," there is no argument against the need for vitamins and minerals. But there are strong opinions about whether children should be given dietary supplements. The consensus seems to be that for most healthy children who eat a variety of foods, dietary vitamin and mineral supplements are unnecessary.

Dr. Varro Tyler, professor emeritus at Purdue University and an established authority on herbal medicines, is quoted in the article as saying he doesn't recommend dietary supplements for children under age 12. Further, the value and safety of many of the products being marketed for children have not been determined, he says.

Dr. Dennis Bier is a pediatrician and researcher at the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston. He is quoted in the article as saying that "we have no systematic scientific data. Yes, some of these products may have been used for millions of years, but no one has ever systematically collected data on their use in children. We don't know if these products are safe."

The article also says that most experts advise against giving children dietary supplements because unlike medications, their manufacture is not currently held to any set of federal standards to ensure purity and quality.

Dr. Susan Baker, a professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina has said that "it's a crapshoot. You have no idea what these products contain."

Dr. Samara Joy Nielsen is a nutrition epidemiologist at RTI and a co-author of the study. She said that "dietary supplements are an important source of nutrition for American children, but national estimates of nutrition intake rarely account for them. To accurately assess children's health and health risks, we need to include children's intake of both dietary supplements and food when examining overall nutrient intakes."

Bottom line, a parent's or guardian's best bet is to first consult the child's pediatrician or another health care provider before deciding on whether to give dietary supplements to a child.

The RTI International study can be found in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Sources:

Press release, "Study Finds Almost One-Third of Children Take Vitamins;" http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/534060/

Article, "Promotions for Kids' Dietary Supplements Leave Sour Taste;" http://www.nutriwatch.org/08Ads/kidsupps.html