Most toddlers don't have a lot of fruit and vegetables, so there are many parents who give their child a multivitamin pill to prevent a shortage of important vitamins. However, not all brands of multivitamins meet all requirements.
Research by the Consumers' Association shows that there are a number of brands that contain too little vitamin D. For children up to 4 years it is important to take this vitamin correctly to prevent a very rare bone disease (rickets).
The recommended daily amount of vitamin D for children up to the age of four is 10 micrograms. Almost half of the multivitamins for toddlers contain too little vitamin D. Some brands contain too much vitamin D.
Read also: 'Vitamin D:miracle cure?'
There are also three brands that contain a much too high amount of vitamin A and folic acid, which is certainly not good for the health of a toddler, the Consumers' Association reports. It contains so much vitamin A that it exceeds the tolerable upper limit, as set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
So much vitamin A can even cause poisoning and too much folic acid can ensure that a possible deficiency of vitamin B is not noticed.
For more information about this research, visit Consumentenbond.nl.
