Are there any chewable vitamins available for children under age two?

Question

The doctor prescribed some liquid vitamins for my 19 month old daughter. The problem is, I'm having a hard time trying to get her to take them. She won't drink it straight out of the syringe that comes with it (which I don't blame her). So, I've been putting it in her drink, but then she doesn't drink the whole thing. I put very little in her cup because I figured then she will drink it all down. But she hardly ever drinks it all. How do I know if she's drinking enough of it to get the correct amount of vitamins she needs? I just wish I could find a chewable vitamin for her, but all the ones I've looked at say it's not suitable for children under 2. Any suggestions?

A note to WhoAmI : Have you ever tried to keep a toddler on a well balanced diet every single day? It doesn't work because there are days when they want to eat a lot, then there are days when they hardly want to eat at all. You cannot force them to eat. So, therefore, vitamins are the next best thing, especially when they are sick and not feeling up to eating.

Answer 1

Hi, first off you should ask your doctor about my recommendations, but I'll tell you what I had to do. My dr. also prescribed liquid vitamins for my then 18 month old daughter. She hated it! I tried mixing it in food, juice, etc. but I wasn't fooling her. Finally my doctor gave me the ok to give her 1/2 a tablet of the traditional kid's chewable vitamins (such as flintones, etc). Another thing you could do is give her some pediacare, the kid's nutrional juice. Just give her half the regualar serving recommended. That was always a favorite among my girls. Well good luck to you and your child!

Answer 2

I just break up the chewable ones... my sons are 18 mo. and 3 1/2. I give the bigger piece to my older boy and the littler piece to the younger.


You probably don't have to give vitamins everyday anyways if your daughter is getting a balanced diet. They say that Americans have the most expensive urine because we take so many vitamins (that we don't really need...)

Answer 3

i have a 15mo old w/similar problem but i don't recommend giving your daughter a chewable yet. try putting in her drink when she first wakes from a nap or before bed when she is more likely to drink the whole thing.

on the other hand if you are adamant about a chewable i did see a wide variety of children's vitamins. i think they had Winnie the pooh on the bottle. i would try several yourself to make sure she is going to be able to chew them properly

good luck

Answer 4

I had the same problem with my daughter but she was only 15 months old. I asked her doctor and she percribed a chewable multi-vitamin. Her only concern was chocking. I watched my daughter eat them to make sure she wouldn't chock. No she is 23 months and takes them everyday without a fight.

Answer 5

She might not like it and niether will you, but if the end result is her getting the nutrition she needs, then coerse the syringe liquid vitamins.

Just aim for the back of the throat, she will not taste the vitamins that way.

Trust me, getting a cat to take medicine that way is much harder than getting a kid to take medication that same way.

Answer 6

Costco sells i think it may be their brand which are gummy bear vitamins. I think my son was under 2 when I started giving them to him. What i recommend is find some, even if they say over 2, and then call your doctor to ask.

Answer 7

We have ALL had problems keeping our kids on a "well-balanced" diet. I have 3 who are almost 7, almost 4 and almost 3, and I am sure that they are not always getting the USDA recommend daily allowances of certain vitamins or minerals.
One thing I have learned is that young children are sort of like pregnant women......they go through phases where all they can/will eat are certain things. Our bodies know what we need and usually what we are craving has what we need in it.
There is no way to make kids eat what they should in the amounts that they should.
You have to be VERY VERY careful giving your child vitamins. Unless your doctor tells you that your daughter is deficient in certain vitamins, I would not to give them because of the possibility of overdosing. Any ingredient in a multiple vitamin supplement can be toxic in large amounts, but the most serious risk comes from iron or calcium. This overload could come form a combination of vitamin and the food/drink that she is intaking! (I have seen kids get in to vitamins and eat them like candy....that is just a risk that I am not willing to take......even if they were put up and out of sight. My kids can get into anything.)

These are some of the symptoms of overdose:
Muscles and joints
Muscle pain
Muscle weakness
Joint pain
Bone pain
Bladder and kidneys
Cloudy urine
Increase amount of urine output
Increase need to urinate
Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat
Dry, cracking lips (from chronic overdose)
Increased sensitivity of the eyes to light
Irritation of the eyes
Skin and hair
Flushing from niacin (vitamin B3)
Dry cracking skin
Itching
Yellow-orange areas of skin
Sun-sensitivity (more likely to sunburn)
Hair loss (from long-term overdose)
Gastrointestinal
Loss of appetite
Constipation (from iron or calcium)
Nausea and vomiting
Stomach pain
Weight loss (from long-term overdose)
Diarrhea
Nervous system
Convulsions (seizures)
Headache
Mental changes
Mood changes
Irritability
Heart and blood
Electrical disturbances (arrhythmias) in the heart

My 3 kids have never taken vitamins and they are healthy and strong. Our pediatrician has told me that there is not a reason in the world that kids who are otherwise healthy need to be on vitamins. If they were to need a supplement, he would put them just on that supplement.
Just believe that eventually, your daughter will get everything that she needs. Spend your energy playing with and enjoying your daughter and less energy worrying about vitamins.

Answer 8

I don't know if these are age appropriate, but my 5 yr old loves the gummie bear vitamins.

Answer 9

This is something I feel very strongly about. Why don't you feed your child a balanced diet instead of starting her on a life of pills at such an early age. Read the book "Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About" by Kevin Trudeau. Don't take it as gospel, but it might open your eyes.

Answer 10

My girls wouldn't take the liquid ones either. We got the Equate(walmart) brand chewables, compare to FLintstones, & I jsut broke one in half for my youngest.