I was wondering if there are any vitamins I can give my child to help his immune system at his age?

Hello ma'am,

A varied and healthy diet usually meets the vitamin and mineral needs of most children to ensure proper growth and an effective immune system. Thus, without medical or nutritionist advice, it is usually not recommended to give any vitamin to " boost" your child's immune system. 🥦

However, in some situations, vitamin and mineral needs may not be met through diet (e.g., strict diet, many food allergies, diseases affecting nutrient absorption, etc.). In these cases, it is best to turn to nutritionists or your child's family doctor for a complete assessment of the child's nutritional needs.

The only vitamin supplementation recommended up front for children in Canada is vitamin D. Milk, fatty fish and sunlight on the skin are the main sources of vitamin D. However, because we are a northern country where sunlight decreases dramatically from October to April and it is difficult to meet the recommended vitamin D requirements through diet alone, it may be recommended that vitamin D (oral liquid, chewable tablets) be given at 400 IU, 1 time per day, at the same time each day, with or without food. 🌞

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions! 😊

Marc-Antoine Dufresne, pharmacist (Pharm.D.).