Half of Parents Report Giving Their Child Supplements Regularly

MONDAY, April 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Half of parents report their child regularly has dietary supplements, according to the results of a survey released by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., and colleagues from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor conducted a survey of 1,251 households with at least one child (ages 1 to 10 years) in October 2021.

According to the results of the poll, three in five parents say it is hard to get their child to eat a well-balanced diet, with roughly one-third saying their child is a picky eater (35 percent) or does not eat enough fruits and vegetables (31 percent). Just over half of parents (52 percent) say their child regularly takes a supplement, including multivitamins (78 percent), probiotics (45 percent), omega 3 (22 percent), or specific vitamins (44 percent) or minerals (25 percent). Regular supplement use is more common in higher-income households. Less than half of those using supplements (43 percent) say they discussed use with their child's health care provider.

"Providers should be diligent about discussing nutrition with families so they understand what a healthy diet should include and are using supplements appropriately," Clark said in a statement. "In situations where families can't afford to provide a healthy diet, providers may direct parents to social service programs that can help."

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