The age of 4 is the period when children develop rapidly both physically and mentally. For children to always be full of energy and develop healthily, providing adequate nutrients, especially essential vitamins, is extremely necessary. So what are the indispensable vitamins and minerals for children? What vitamins do 4-year-old children need to supplement? This article will help you answer that question and give useful advice for your child’s diet.
The importance of vitamin supplementation for 4-year-old children
The age of 4 is an important milestone in a child’s growth, marking a strong development in both physical and mental aspects. To meet the needs of this rapid growth, adequate vitamin supplementation is essential.
Vitamins act as “bricks” that contribute to building a foundation of health for children to develop comprehensively. They not only support the strengthening of bones and muscles, helping children grow tall and healthy, but also play an important role in brain development, enhancing the ability to learn, remember and think. In addition, vitamins also help strengthen the immune system, forming a “shield” to protect children from diseases, minimizing the risk of infections.
Only when provided with enough vitamins and minerals can babies develop healthily.
However, 4-year-old children often have erratic eating preferences and are easily attracted to fast food and low-nutrition foods. This causes many children to not have enough necessary vitamins. In addition, digestive problems and anorexia are also barriers that make children susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to find out what vitamins 4-year-old children need and to supplement vitamins for them properly.
What vitamins do 4-year-olds need?
Here are some essential vitamins that 4-year-olds need to supplement:
Vitamin A is not only good for eyesight but also plays an important role in strengthening the immune system, supporting cell development and maintaining healthy skin. Children with vitamin A deficiency may show signs such as: Dry eyes, night blindness, fear of light, dry, rough skin, acne, dry mouth, chapped lips, conjunctivitis, frequent illness, slow growth, rickets.
B vitamins include many different types of vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, B12… B vitamins play an essential role in the growth and development of children. They participate in many energy metabolism processes, helping children have enough strength to function. In addition, B vitamins also support a healthy nervous system, helping children develop better brains. A deficiency of B vitamins can lead to problems such as slow growth, fatigue, digestive disorders and reduced resistance.
What vitamins do 4-year-olds need to supplement? Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system, helping children fight infections. In addition, vitamin C also supports the formation of collagen, helping children’s skin, bones and blood vessels stay healthy. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron better, preventing anemia. Although very important, parents need to supplement vitamin C for 4-year-old children properly. Excess vitamin C can cause problems such as diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones.
Vitamin D, especially vitamin D3, plays an important role in calcium absorption, helping to strengthen bones and strengthen children’s immune systems. In addition to exposure to sunlight in the morning, parents can supplement vitamin D in the form of syrup, drops, and sprays for children every day. How much vitamin D is enough? Children aged 1-18 need to supplement 600 IU per day.
How to supplement vitamins for 4-year-old children
In addition to finding out what vitamins 4-year-old children need to supplement, parents also need to know how to scientifically supplement vitamins and minerals for their children. There are three main ways to provide vitamins for 4-year-old children:
- Supplementing vitamins for 4-year-old children through food
This is the most natural and safest way to provide vitamins for children. Parents should build a diverse, nutritious diet for their children, including a variety of foods such as fruits, green vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products. To stimulate children’s appetite, mothers can prepare dishes in an attractive, lively way, combining many different colors and flavors.
Supplementing vitamins for 4 year old children through food is the best way.
Rich sources of vitamin A for babies include carrots, pumpkin, animal liver, milk and dairy products. You can supplement vitamin D for your baby through foods such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna), chicken eggs, milk and dairy products. Nuts, whole grains, meat, fish, eggs, beans and dark green leafy vegetables are rich sources of vitamin B. If you want to supplement vitamin C for your baby, you can choose citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, strawberries, etc.
- Supplementing with fresh milk, formula milk
When learning what vitamins a 4-year-old baby needs, you can easily see that these vitamins are present in most types of fresh milk and formula milk. When choosing milk, mothers should choose the type of milk that is suitable for the age and needs of the baby. In addition, if using formula milk, you need to read the instructions carefully and mix the milk properly to ensure hygiene and avoid the risk of causing illness for the baby.
- Supplementing with multivitamins
There are many types of multivitamins for children. In some cases such as children with poor appetite, poor absorption, unbalanced diet, children with chronic diseases, children taking medicine… supplementing with multivitamins may be necessary.
However, choosing which type of vitamin and how much dosage requires the advice of a doctor. In addition, parents should also note that multivitamins are only supplements and cannot completely replace a healthy diet. Overuse of multivitamins can cause unwanted side effects.
What vitamins do 4-year-olds need to supplement? You probably already know. Vitamin supplementation for 4-year-olds is extremely important to ensure healthy and comprehensive development. Above are some ways to supplement vitamins and improve children’s health that parents should combine to apply. By building a balanced diet, combined with multivitamin supplements (if necessary) and doctor’s advice, parents can help their children stay healthy, active and develop comprehensively.
