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Multivitamins for Kids - What They Can and Cannot Support

Updated: May 1

Multivitamins for Kids - What They Can and Cannot Support | SpectraSpray

Do You Struggle to Give Your Child a Vitamin or Supplement?

You know the drill. You purchase a bottle of multivitamins for kids, preferably in cute animal shapes with a fun flavor, in hope that your child will take it consistently. Perhaps they do and might even like it - for a little while. But before you know it, they’re spitting them out or throwing a tantrum because they’re sick of taking it every single day.


In this article, we will explore the basics of multivitamins, and how they differ from the multitude of other vitamins and supplements out there. We will also talk about what multivitamins for kids can and cannot help with. There is no magic pill for good health after all, especially if the fundamentals of wellness are not in order.


*Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational purposes and is not to be substituted for medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your own doctor before changing or adding any new treatment protocols.


Who and What are Multivitamins for?

Multivitamins are all-in-one supplements that typically contain a combination of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron and more. It does not necessarily mean that all 13 established vitamins are included, or that they contain solely vitamins (A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, 2024).


The formulation can vary widely and even include other components, depending on the brand. In the U.S., food or dietary supplements may contain: vitamins, minerals, herbal ingredients, amino acids, other concentrates such as metabolites and more (Office of Dietary Supplements [ODS], n.d.).


The dosage for each type of nutrient included in a multivitamin is also much lower, as compared to a supplement with one main ingredient that focuses on a specific need (for example, an iron supplement for someone with anemia). Multivitamins are used more for preventative and general health support purposes.


Individuals who can potentially benefit from multivitamins include:


  • people with micronutrient insufficiencies, dietary restrictions and/or malabsorption,

  • pregnant and nursing women,

  • adults over 55, and

  • growing children.


How Multivitamins Support General Health and Wellness

In an ideal world, we would get all the nutrients we need from our diet alone. However, data shows that many Americans still have “calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin D” deficiencies, and it is considered a public health concern (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], n.d.). In addition, not all types of micronutrients are readily available through foods that we eat on a daily basis (Sarma, 2009).


Micronutrients are important for “nearly all metabolic and developmental bodily processes” (Ward, 2014), and also “optimal physical growth and neuromotor development” (Singh, 2004). Children in particular can be fussy eaters, and reject certain healthful foods due to the taste or texture. This can result in certain nutritional deficiencies that may impact their developmental process. Poor immunity can also leave them more vulnerable to everyday infections, such as influenza (Singh, 2004).


Malabsorption and malnutrition can also occur for a wide number of reasons, such as medication interactions, chronic illnesses, a poor or limited diet and more. Micronutrient malnutrition is also known as “hidden hunger”, which Cole (2012) describes as “a more insidious type of hunger caused by eating food that is cheap and filling but deficient in essential vitamins and micronutrients”. While this is more prevalent in resource poor countries, it is also on the rise in countries such as the United States.


Multivitamins for Kids - What They Can’t Help with

Supplements can be a big aid, especially for those who suffer from nutrient deficiencies. However, we also strongly believe at SpectraSpray that a healthy lifestyle is just as important, if not more so. Not all variables in life can be avoided of course, but every little bit can make a positive difference. Here are some things that multivitamins for kids can’t help with.


Multivitamins are Not Going to Magically Fix an Unbalanced Diet

Approximately 41% of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese. While genetics and fetal environment can play a role, external factors such as poor eating habits are major contributors as well (USDA & HHS, 2020).


Children in general are also undergoing rapid hormonal and cognitive changes, as well as growth processes within the body. This means that their energy needs and expenditure are higher as compared to other life phases, and nutrients such as “calcium, essential amino acids, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, and phosphorus” are key for optimal growth (Beal et al., 2024).


There are several advantages through the intake of nutrients from natural food sources, such as bioavailability and bioactivity. There is also a much lower risk of nutrient toxicity from natural food sources, as opposed to supplements which tend to be formulated with isolated compounds (Lichtenstein & Russell, 2005).


Multivitamins are Not a Quick Fix for Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits

Another major factor that contributes to poor health and obesity in children is a lack of physical activity, which is another growing problem with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. You might be surprised, but inadequate sleep can contribute to obesity as well (Koyuncuoğlu Güngör, 2014).


Physical activity has many health benefits for children, including improved bone health, cognitive function and weight status. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP, 2021) recommends an hour or more of moderate to vigorous exercise per day for kids, which should include aerobic, strength-training and bone-strengthening activities. It doesn’t need to be complicated, either. A physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity can be as simple as running around with friends at the playground.


The Role of Parents in Health Education

Parents are probably the biggest influencers in the lives of their children, and their subsequent growth into wonderful young adults. What you eat, where you eat, the quantity and timing of consumption as a family matters, and can set habits and patterns for life (Mahmood et al., 2021).


Research has found that besides shared cultural experiences, family environment plays a role in the food preferences of children as well (Adamo & Brett, 2014). We like the term Guidetti and Cavazza (2008) uses in their paper - that the range of foods that parents eat have an “anchoring” function and impact on their children’s subsequent food choices.


Exposure to different types of foods from a young age also helps children to be more accepting of food from a wider variety as they grow older. While this can be frustrating if your child is a picky eater, it is even more crucial to keep trying through repeated exposure, as such children “may be at risk for behavioral problems, as well as impaired growth and development” (Mahmood et al., 2021).


Multivitamins for Kids - What They Can Help with

Studies have shown that children and adolescents aged 2 to 18 do not meet the daily nutrient requirements from diet alone, particularly for vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin C in descending order (Council for Responsible Nutrition [CRN], n.d.). Apart from that, other nutrients that are underconsumed both in adults and children are potassium and fibre (Ward, 2014).


Infants 7 to 23 months of age also require twice as much iron as compared to other life stages (Beal et al., 2024). Infants and toddlers whose diets consist primarily of human milk tend to lack iron, calcium, vitamin D, zinc, potassium, fibre and other important nutrients from complementary food sources as well (Dewey et al., 2021).


This does not necessarily mean that you need to target certain micronutrients to start your child on, as there runs the risk of overconsumption. This is especially true for vitamins that are fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E and K). Fat-soluble vitamins can be toxic in high doses due to the way they are metabolised, and they can be retained in body tissue for a longer period of time as compared to water-soluble vitamins (Reddy & Jialal, 2022).


A study by Bailey et al. (2012) found that “the majority of children aged 2-8 years who did not use supplements failed to meet recommendations for calcium, and vitamins D and E and more than ∼30% failed to meet the EAR [estimated average requirement] for magnesium and vitamin A”. The study also found that over a third of children were still deficient in calcium and vitamin D - despite taking supplements. This emphasizes the need to maintain a balanced, nutritious diet, in tandem with taking multivitamins for kids.


Apart from improved nutritional status and general health, several other key benefits of multivitamins for kids are:


  • Enhanced immune function

  • Improved growth and weight gain

  • Improved cognitive abilities


Let’s break that down a little bit.


Enhanced Immune Function

Several nutrients are key for optimal functioning of the immune system. In particular, vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as zinc are known to enhance immunity.


Vitamin D plays a role in combating both the rate and severity of contracting infectious diseases, such as upper respiratory tract infections. Many studies also show that a deficiency in vitamin D is linked to several autoimmune conditions, including type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. It may also be easier to develop allergies and cavities. Vitamin D supplementation is even more critical for those who live in places where there is little sunlight as well (Mailhot & White, 2020).


Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals, which damage the DNA of cells or alter their membranes. This in turn can potentially lead to chronic disease and cancer. Some main vitamins that are antioxidants are A, C and E, and they each have other beneficial properties as well (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).


Improved Growth and Weight Gain

A study based on three meta-analyses concluded that “multimicronutrient interventions that provided the recommended daily allowance of iron, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid, and B vitamins had a positive effect on height and weight gain in children”. In contrast, interventions that use single nutrients only, such as vitamin A or iron, showed no effect on growth in children (Ramakrishnan et al., 2004).


This could be due to a few reasons, such as existent deficiencies in multiple nutrients that needed to be addressed in the first place. Another is the “positive synergistic effects between some of these nutrients at the level of both absorption and metabolism”. What this means is that certain vitamins are better utilized and work better when taken together, as opposed to taken alone (Ramakrishnan et al., 2004).


Improved Cognitive Abilities

Fun fact: the brain weight of newborns is approximately 10% of their body weight, as compared to 2% in adults. Their brains are in a rapid development phase, and poor nutrition can have lifelong impact on “cognitive, motor, and socioemotional skills” (Benton, 2010; Beal et al., 2024).


Nutrients that are particularly important for brain development in children include: “iodine, iron, zinc, choline, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D” (Benton, 2010). Iodine and iron deficiencies, especially in early childhood, are associated with “reduced intellectual ability”, and a lack of vitamin B12 in infancy impacts both mood and brain growth (Benton & ILSI Europe a.i.s.b.l., 2008).


According to Benton (2010), “malnutrition in the first year of life has a lasting effect on both behaviour and cognition. Both motor control and language develop more slowly and both intelligence scores and school performance are poorer”. Certain nutrient deficiencies during the first 2 years of age can also lead to issues that may be irreversible, even if one consumes an adequate diet after.


Another study also showed that a combination of zinc with micronutrients had the most positive effect on cognitive outcomes. In addition, the effect of taking multiple vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids in combination cannot be undermined, as they work together in a synergistic fashion for the most effective outcome (Frensham et al., 2012).


How SpectraSpray’s Kids’ Multi Spray Can Help

SpectraSpray’s multivitamins for kids’ spray is manufactured in the USA, according to the FDA’s regulatory requirements. It comprises vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12, folate, and pantothenic acid. We also use a non-GMO formula, without any added binders, fillers, colors, sugars, wheat, soy, eggs, salt or artificial ingredients. All of our oral sprays are also gluten-free and dairy-free. We do our very best to keep it as clean as possible. This also means that the chances of an allergic reaction are low.


As we shared earlier, certain nutrients may still be deficient in some children despite eating a healthful diet. Our multivitamins for kids’ spray is formulated specifically with children’s health and well-being in mind, using a combination of essential vitamins and trace elements.


SpectraSpray Kids Multi Spray - oral spray dietary supplement. Supplement facts: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, and pantothenic acid. Manufactured in the USA.
Ingredients in SpectraSpray’s “Kids’ Multi Spray”.

Benefits of Oral Spray Vitamins

Multivitamins for kids come in many shapes and sizes, such as gummies, tablets, chewables and oral sprays. Oral spray vitamins have a superior absorption rate, as the nutrients have already been micronized (dissolved). This means that the body does not need to do extra work to break them down; they also bypass the intestinal absorption route and are absorbed via the buccal (cheek) walls (Satia et al., 2015). Thus, these nutrients are ready to be utilized right from the start of the digestive tract - the mouth.


Oral spray vitamins are also easy to use - simply spray them twice on each cheek, and that’s it! So even (even) if your child dislikes the taste, the process is quick and simple, and it’s easier for you to ensure compliance as well. We’ve worked very hard on the taste of our multivitamins for kids’ spray though, so we are quite confident that your child will like it!


Conclusion on Multivitamins for Kids - What They Can and Cannot Help with

In conclusion, ensuring a happy and healthy child goes beyond just taking a supplement. A healthy diet, lifestyle and family dynamic is a crucial foundation that sets the stage for life. However, children are also at a stage of rapid growth with high energy needs. Some children may still be deficient in certain nutrients, despite eating a healthy diet.


Multivitamins for kids can be helpful for instances such as these, and also for general health maintenance purposes. Consuming the right nutrients in the proper amounts can help with optimal physical and cognitive growth, as well as regulate emotional processes.


It is also important to remember that many nutrients have a synergistic effect. Multivitamins may have an advantage in this area, because they contain not only one, but multiple nutrients that work together for enhanced efficacy.


Finally, oral spray vitamins have a superior absorption rate compared to many other traditional forms of multivitamins for kids. They are also fuss-free, quick and easy to use, with a pleasant taste. We would highly recommend our “Kids’ Multi Spray”, though we might be slightly biased 😉


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Learn more about multivitamins for kids in this post, and what they can and cannot support when it comes to health and wellness. Get healthy diet and lifestyle tips for children, and how SpectraSpray’s Kids Multi Vitamin Spray can help.

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