Should I be worried that my son, who is 7 years old, is smaller than his classmates?

It is indeed wise to use supplements for persons with special nutritional requirements, e. g. pregnant women, children, people with anorexia nervosa. To explain further, pregnant women need to take folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. For most people, it is important to have a balanced, healthy diet and supplements may be used to complement (not to replace) a person’s nutrient needs. Some people believe that as we derive nutrients throughout the day from food, having our nutrition supplements at night helps our body get some nutrition as we sleep.

Many parents are concerned when their children tend to avoid certain food items. These children are known as “picky eaters”, but this does not always correlate to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Before considering supplementing the child’ diet with a multivitamin tablet, it will be important to seek a medical opinion to see if the child has a nutritional deficiency. For children with restricted diets like those with allergies, intolerances and vegan or plant-based diets, nutritional deficiency is more commonly seen.