Medical experts have not reached a consensus on this issue. Experts against supplementation argue that many children, although picky eaters, do not necessarily lack vitamins and minerals. Many common foods, including breakfast cereals, milk, and orange juice, are fortified with important nutrients (such as vitamin D and calcium), and children do not need large amounts. Therefore, the vast majority of children are not deficient in vitamins and minerals.
However, medical experts generally agree that children should be given vitamin and mineral supplements if they have the following conditions:
It is important to remember that some vitamins and minerals can interact with medications, and overdosing on vitamins and minerals can be toxic. Most importantly, do not mistakenly believe that vitamin and mineral supplements can replace a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables contain thousands of compounds, many of which are beneficial, but we currently cannot extract all the nutrients. Current supplements contain at most a few dozen nutrients. As the name suggests, supplements are meant to supplement, not replace.