Vitamins for Children and Teenagers

Urgent first: keep supplements out of reach

Vitamins and minerals can poison a small child. About 4,600 children go to the emergency room every year because of dietary supplements, most after taking a vitamin or mineral when unsupervised, and child-resistant packaging is not required for dietary supplements (US, NCCIH). [1] Very high doses of iron can be fatal, particularly if taken by children. [2] If a child may have swallowed supplements in the US, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222; call 911 if the child has collapsed, had a seizure or has trouble breathing. [3] Other countries: poison help by country and poisoning: what to do first. See also iron overdose and child safety.

Overview

Advice for children differs by country and by age. This page sets out what two official sources say and where the evidence is thin. It is not advice for your child; a pediatrician, health visitor or pharmacist can say what applies.

What official advice says

These are different countries' recommendations, not one universal rule. US RDA and upper-limit figures for children come from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, whose pages we could not read this session, so we do not quote them. If you live elsewhere, ask your local clinician.

Do not double up

The NHS says to keep to the dose recommended on the label and not to give two supplements at once. Cod liver oil and vitamin drops both contain vitamins A and D, so one supplement is enough if it contains the recommended vitamin D. [4] UK upper limits for vitamin D are 50 mcg (2,000 IU) a day for ages 1 to 10, 25 mcg (1,000 IU) for infants under 12 months, and 100 mcg (4,000 IU) for ages 11 to 17 (NHS, 2020). [5] Your doctor may advise a different amount. [5] See vitamin D, amounts and duplicate ingredients and multivitamins.

Gummies, chewables and drops

Gummies, chewables and drops are product forms; the nutrient inside is the same. They matter for safety because they look like sweets. A 2024 CDC report cited by NCCIH estimated 11,000 emergency department visits from 2019 to 2022 for unsupervised melatonin ingestion by children aged 5 and under, and many incidents involved flavored products such as gummies. [6] A 2023 study found 22 of 25 melatonin gummy products inaccurately labeled. [6] That finding is about melatonin gummies and should not be assumed for every vitamin gummy. Proper evidence not found comparing vitamin gummies with other forms for children; we searched the NHS, NCCIH and MedlinePlus pages listed here. For label basics see supplement formats compared.

Teens: products to be careful with

NCCIH says products sold as supplements for weight loss and bodybuilding increasingly contain harmful ingredients, including prescription drug ingredients and controlled substances. [1] Some bodybuilding products contain steroids or steroid-like substances that could lead to serious liver injury, stroke or kidney failure. [1] Weight-loss products with a lot of caffeine, or caffeine-containing herbs such as guarana, can cause life-threatening changes in heart rhythm. [1] A teen worried about weight or eating should see a clinician rather than buy a product. See weight, menopause and prostate formulas.

Other products often given to children

• Melatonin: appears safe for short-term use, but long-term effects are not known. [1] NCCIH says to work with a health care provider. [6] See melatonin for sleep.
• Probiotics: do not appear risky for children, but conclusive evidence is lacking; critically ill patients should not use them. [1]
• Omega-3: may cause belching, indigestion or diarrhea. [1]
• St. John's wort: interacts with many medications. [1]