Vitamin D Drops for Kids

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the U.S. is a serious health problem for children. Seventy percent of U.S. children are vitamin D deficient, according to a study of 6,000 children, conducted by researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and published in "Pediatrics Online" on August 3, 2009. It is difficult for youngsters to absorb enough vitamin D from sunshine or food sources, so some doctors recommend they take supplements in the form of vitamin D drops. A number of brands offer easy-to-administer liquid vitamins created especially for children and infants.

Carlson Labs Baby Ddrops and Kids Ddrops

Vitamin DDrops from Carlson Labs offers two types of liquid vitamin D, one for babies and one for children over 2 years old. A bottle of vitamins contains 365 flavorless drops of vitamin D3, and one drop each day provides 400 IU of vitamin D, the amount the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for infants and children. The manufacturer recommends putting a drop on your child's tongue, on a spoonful of food or on a piece of toast. For infants, they suggest you put a drop on a pacifier, in formula or, if you are nursing, they recommend placing a drop on your nipple and let your baby suck for at least 30 seconds. Vitamin D3 and coconut oil are the only ingredients in DDrops, which which are free of sugar, wheat gluten, soy, corn, coloring and preservatives.

Baby-D's Liquid Vitamin D Drops

Nutraceutical Sciences Institute produces Baby-D's Liquid Vitamin D Drops for infants and children. Your child needs only one drop a day to meet the recommended 400 IU daily requirement, and the 1-oz bottle contains 900 drops. Baby-D's Liquid Vitamin D Drops contain olive oil and vitamin D3, which comes from animal sources, such as fish or sheep's wool.

Enfamil D-Vi-Sol Vitamin D Supplement Drops

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends giving a Vitamin D supplement to breastfed babies beginning when they are a few days old. This is because breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D to prevent rickets, a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphate that leads to softening and weakening of bones. Enfamil D-Vi-Sol Vitamin D Supplement Drops are sugar-free, gluten-free and lactose-free. In addition to 400 IU of vitamin D3, they contain water, glycerin, citric acid, artificial flavor, artificial color and other ingredients. As recommended by the manufacturer, drops can be given to babies and children on the tongue or mixed with breast milk, juice, cereal or other soft foods.

CVS Infant's Vitamin D Liquid Drops

Vitamin D levels have fallen in the past 2 decades, due in part to warnings about sun exposure and the use of sunscreen that prevents the skin from absorbing the sunlight the body needs to produce vitamin D naturally. In addition to vitamin D3, CVS Infant's Vitamin D Liquid Drops contain purified water, glycerin, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid and caramel coloring. These drops have no dairy, wheat gluten, nuts or soy. According to the manufacturer's instructions, one dropperful of vitamin D per day should be given orally using the included child-safe dropper or mixed with formula, juice, water, cereal or any other soft food.

Other Vitamin D Drops for Children

A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to a calcium deficiency that affects a child's' growth and health. Vitamin D deficiency has become more common as children become more sedentary and spend less time in the sunlight and more time indoors, playing computer games, studying online and watching television.

Many companies now manufacture vitamin D drops especially for infants and children to help counteract this serious problem. Some of these products include Just D Vitamin D supplement drops for infants and children, which contain only vitamin D3 in corn oil, Child Life Essentials Vitamin D3 Liquid Drops with mixed berry flavor and no artificial ingredients; Natural Factors Vitamin D3 Drops For Kids, which uses the form of D3 found in fish oils and eggs; and Animal Parade Orange Flavor Vitamin Liquid Drops.