Children's supplements ignored by researchers

Health researchers, while trying to get a snapshot of the nation’s nutritional habits, do not consider the fact that more than 3 out of 10 American children take dietary supplements, according to a new study.

The most common supplement was multivitamins, as per researchers from the federal government and RTI International, a research institute.

From NYTimes.com:

The highest use of supplements in children was by 4- to 8-year-olds. Just under half the children in that group took them.

Pediatric groups, the study noted, recommend that healthy children fill their nutritional needs by eating well, and limit supplements to situations when there is reason for concern.

But a look at the dietary habits of more than 10,000 children from birth to age 18 made it clear that supplement use was fairly widespread — a factor that could affect other research.

“To truly assess the nutrient status and estimate the potential health risks of U.S. children,” the researchers write, “we must include nutrient intakes from dietary supplements as well as from food.”

The findings were presented in an issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.