Should kids take vitamins or nutritional supplements?

Lawrence Kagan, MD Pediatrician, shares advice for parents on whether or not your child should be taking vitamins and which ones he reccommends depending on your child's age
Should Kids Take Vitamins Or Nutritional Supplements
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Should kids take vitamins or nutritional supplements?

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An exclusively breastfed child would benefit from Vitamin D supplementation, even in Sunny Southern California. I am also a firm believer that they benefit from omega-3 supplementation. As children get older, I encourage all children to take a multivitamin everyday and continue to take omega-3. I think that probiotics are an excellent component of a person's repertoire. I use probiotics for patients who have colic, for patients who have diarrhea illnesses, and constipation, sometimes they will help. I use probiotics if I put a child on antimicrobial therapy, so antibiotics. Once again, multivitamin, omega-3, and probiotics when it's appropriate. That's all you need.

Lawrence Kagan, MD Pediatrician, shares advice for parents on whether or not your child should be taking vitamins and which ones he reccommends depending on your child's age

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Lawrence Kagan, MD

Pediatrician

Lawrence Kagan, MD, FAAP, is a UCLA honors graduate, with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. He received medical training at USC Keck School of Medicine, and completed his internship and residency in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In addition to passionately studying neonatal, general pediatric and adolescent medicine at CHLA, he had the opportunity to train under some of the greatest minds in subspecialty pediatrics, diagnosing and managing the rarest and most complicated childhood ailments. Prior to opening Westside Pediatrics, he worked as an attending physician at the CHLA Emergency Department as well as at Cedars Sinai Urgent Care. Dr. Kagan is a native of Los Angeles and is happily married with two children.

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Transcription: 
An exclusively breastfed child would benefit from Vitamin D supplementation, even in Sunny Southern California. I am also a firm believer that they benefit from omega-3 supplementation. As children get older, I encourage all children to take a multivitamin everyday and continue to take omega-3. I think that probiotics are an excellent component of a person's repertoire. I use probiotics for patients who have colic, for patients who have diarrhea illnesses, and constipation, sometimes they will help. I use probiotics if I put a child on antimicrobial therapy, so antibiotics. Once again, multivitamin, omega-3, and probiotics when it's appropriate. That's all you need.