Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc, CCH

Dr. Neustaedter has practiced homeopathy and oriental medicine for over 25 years, specializing in child health care. An accomplished and well-recognized author, he has written The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults (North Atlantic Books, 2002), a book that helps consumers make informed choices about vaccination. His new book, Child Health Guide: Holistic Pediatrics for Parents (North Atlantic Books, 2005), represents a state of the art guide to raising children with natural medical care. He can be reached through his extensive website at www.cure-guide.com.

Published on 07/18/2004

A recent study suggests that multivitamin supplementation may be associated with an increased risk of babies developing asthma and food allergies. These findings show that children should not be taking vitamin supplements.

Vitamin Supplements for Children

Are they necessary? Are they good? A study published in Pediatrics this month suggests that multivitamin supplementation may be associated with an increased risk of babies developing asthma and food allergies.

Infants given vitamins in their first six months showed a significantly higher incidence of food allergies if they were exclusively formula-fed, and three-year-olds who used vitamins had an increased risk of food allergies whether they had been breastfed or exclusively formula-fed. Black infants had an increased risk for asthma if they took vitamins. Other known factors that increase the risk of asthma and food allergies were identified and taken into consideration.

What should this tell us? Children should not be taking vitamin supplements. I do not recommend vitamins for children. These synthetic chemical forms of vitamins do not have the same beneficial qualities as the nutrients from foods. Stick to organic produce for your infants and skip the vitamin supplements. Over 8,000 infants were involved in this study, so the vitamin supplements were not the same in all children, but one has to wonder what effect fluoride may play in this equation.

Reference:

Milner, JD, et al. Early infant multivitamin supplementation is associated with increased risk for food allergy and asthma, Pediatrics 2004; 114 (July):27-32.