Gummy vitamins dress up nutrition as candy, enticing your child with the familiar flavors, textures and colors of their favorite sweets. Unfortunately, disguising vitamins as candy can lead to trouble if your child mistakes the two. Most gummy multivitamins do not contain enough of each respective vitamin or mineral to be of concern, except for vitamin A. Chronic ingestion of excess vitamin A might keep your child from developing appropriately and an acute overdose can make your child sick with nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and dizziness.
Vitamin A in Gummy Vitamins
The levels of vitamins and minerals in most gummy vitamins do no present a high risk to children, with the exception of vitamin A. A 2006 case study published in the journal "Pediatrics" details three cases in which overconsumption of candy-like vitamins led to vitamin A overdoses. The study notes that the prevalence of candy-like multivitamins that exceed the recommended vitamin A intake for children is quite high. The authors of this study concluded that "candy-like chewable vitamin supplements... containing substantial amounts of vitamin A must be treated with extreme care when kept at home."
Recommended Vitamin A Intake for Children
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, the recommended daily allowance, or RDA, for vitamin A is 300 micrograms (1,000 IU) for children between 1 and 3 years old, and 400 micrograms (1,320 IU) for children between 4 and 8. Make sure to compare the amount of vitamin A on the supplement's label directly with these numbers and treat the percentage RDA listed with caution. Sometimes supplement manufacturers mistake the tolerable upper intake level for a particular nutrient with the RDA. Consumption of any nutrient above the tolerable upper intake level significantly increases your child's risk of suffering adverse effects.
Chronic Vitamin A Overdose
According to a study from 2006 published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association," 97 percent of toddlers taking nutritional supplements exceeded the upper limit for vitamin A, compared with only 15 percent of toddlers not taking supplements. MedlinePlus.com reports that ingesting too much vitamin A over time can result in impaired weight gain in children and infants, softening of the skull, liver damage and changes to skin and hair.
Acute Vitamin A Overdose
A study from 1990 published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported that acute toxic effects of vitamin A had been reported in children at intake levels of 3,300 IU per pound of body weight. For a 70-lb. child, this is roughly the equivalent of consuming 45 to 65 gummy vitamins over a few days, depending upon the brand. Acute symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include blurred vision, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting and hair loss. If you suspect that your child might have overdosed on vitamin A, call a poison control center or your pediatrician immediately. Additionally, do not allow your child to take gummy vitamins in the weeks following as it takes a significant amount of time for the body to rid itself of excess vitamin A.
Safety and Overdose Prevention
Keep your children's gummy vitamins out of easy reach, preferably in a locked medicine cabinet. Also, reinforce the message that the vitamins are not candy and should not be eaten without you present. The nutrient needs of children differ by age. A full dose might appropriate for an older child but be too much for a younger child. Do not intentionally give your child more than the recommended dose per day and consult with your physician before giving any supplement to your child. Evaluate if the ease of getting your child to eat gummy vitamins is worth the potentially higher risk of overconsumption.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements; Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- "Pediatrics"; Risk of Vitamin A Toxicity From Candy-Like Chewable Vitamin Supplements for Children; Lam et al.; August 2006
- MedlinePlus; Hypervitaminosis A
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study: Do Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Contribute to Nutrient Adequacy or Excess among US Infants and Toddlers?; Briefel et al.; January 2006
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Evaluationof Vitamin A Toxicity; Hancock et al.; August 1990
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