Children’s development requires vitamin A. However, if supplemented at the wrong time or overdosed, it can have a negative impact on the child’s health. The following article will help parents learn in detail about how many months old children should take vitamin A and what to keep in mind.

It seems that determining the appropriate amount of vitamin A for children of how many months old is a common challenge for many parents. The truth is, vitamin A plays an important role in the development of young children and a deficiency can lead to many serious health problems. However, overdose of vitamin A can also pose risks to the child’s health. So how many months old children should take vitamin A?

The role of vitamin A for children

Before determining how many months old children should take vitamin A and what dosage to supplement for children, mothers need to clearly understand the effects of this vitamin on the development of children. According to experts, proper vitamin A supplementation can bring important health benefits to children as follows:

• Helps strengthen the immune system, reducing the risk of infection and dangerous diseases;
• Important for eye health, helping children’s eyes to be healthier and brighter;
• Supports the development of children’s bones and joints;
• Protects the skin, mucous membranes and epithelial cells.

Vitamin A helps keep children’s eyes bright and healthy

Therefore, understanding the role of vitamin A and carefully considering when supplementing it for children is extremely important to ensure the health and comprehensive development of children.

Consequences of vitamin A deficiency in children

However, if not ensuring adequate vitamin A supply, children may face the following health problems:

• Children may develop slowly both physically and mentally;
• Children’s vision may be affected and susceptible to eye diseases such as night blindness, in some cases may experience severe vision loss;
• There is a risk of damage to mucous membranes and epithelial cells;
• Children’s immune system may be weakened, increasing the risk of diseases and infections such as diarrhea, measles or respiratory infections.

The immune system is weakened when children lack vitamin A.

Therefore, it is extremely important to supplement enough vitamin A for young children to avoid the serious health problems mentioned above and at the same time ensure the comprehensive development of the baby. So how many months old can children take vitamin A?

How many months old can children take vitamin A?

How many months old can children take vitamin A is a question of concern to many parents. According to the recommendations of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, vitamin A supplementation for children from 6 to 36 months old should be done twice a year, specifically on June 1 and 2 (phase 1) and December 1 and 2 (phase 2), to prevent diseases such as night blindness or blindness. For children under 6 months old who are not breastfed and children under 5 years old who are at high risk of vitamin A deficiency, vitamin A supplementation is also needed.

How many months old baby take vitamin A?

Vitamin A supplementation for children should be done at ward or commune level medical facilities. Each time of supplementation, only one dose is needed, so parents need to pay attention to inform the doctor if the child has received a dose of vitamin A in the same period. In addition, parents also need to pay attention to the vitamin A schedule for children because this schedule can change every year.

How to take vitamin A properly for children

The amount of vitamin A needed for children will be calculated based on each 6-month period and according to the following recommended doses:

• Children under 6 months old (not breastfed): Need to take 50,000 IU.
• Children from 6 to 12 months old: Need to take 100,000 IU.
• Children from 12 to 36 months old: Need to take 200,000 IU.
• Children from 37 to 60 months old (at high risk of vitamin A deficiency): Need to take 200,000 IU.

In addition, to prevent the risk of vitamin A deficiency in infants, mothers should also take 200,000 IU of vitamin A within 1 month after giving birth. Not only is it important to supplement vitamin A for children with a regular annual dose, parents also need to provide this vitamin through their daily diet.

According to recommendations from the US Institute of Medicine, children from 1 to 3 years old should not take more than 2,000 IU per day and children from 4 to 8 years old should not take more than 3,000 IU per day. Using too much vitamin A can cause side effects such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, lack of coordination and blurred vision. In severe cases, overdose of vitamin A can lead to liver problems, osteoporosis or central nervous system disorders.

Vitamin A overdose causes liver disease

Although vitamin A is essential for children’s development, parents need to follow the recommended dosage. Avoid vitamin A deficiency or excess to prevent serious side effects.

Vitamin A-rich diet

In addition, each parent needs to pay attention to supplementing vitamin A for children in the right dosage and according to the annual supplementation schedule. In addition, vitamin A can also be provided to children through diet.

There are some foods rich in vitamin A that parents can prioritize for their children, including:

• Carrots: A fresh carrot can contain about 8666 IU. If you give your child half a cup of carrot juice, it is adding 22567 IU of vitamin A to your child.
• Milk: Half a cup of milk contains about 250 IU.
• Tomatoes: Half a cup of tomato juice contains about 546 IU of vitamin A.

In addition to the above foods, parents can also supplement vitamin A for children through dishes such as cooked spinach, pumpkin soup or fresh spinach.

The amount of vitamin A provided to the body will vary depending on the amount of food the child eats. In addition, parents also need to choose fresh foods and ensure food hygiene and safety.

The above article has helped parents answer the question of how many months old children should take vitamin A. Based on the recommendations of health agencies, children from 6 to 36 months old should be given vitamin A according to the recommended dose and schedule to prevent serious health problems. In addition to taking vitamin A twice a year, parents can also supplement through a reasonable diet with foods rich in vitamin A such as carrots, tomatoes, milk and vegetables. However, supplementation must be done in the correct dosage and under the guidance of medical professionals to avoid vitamin A deficiency or overdose, while ensuring the best development and health for children.