BDA Welcomes Children’s Vitamin Supplement Call from Chief Medical Officer

25 Oct 2013 --- Prof Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer for England, has used her annual report to call for all children to be offered vitamin supplements to safeguard their health.

Currently, children aged six months to four years are offered free vitamin supplements if they are from low-income families. Prof Dame Sally Davies is calling for the costings of rolling this out to all children under five to be examined.

The vitamin supplements contain vitamins A, C and D.

The Chairman of the British Dietetic Association Paediatric Group, Jessica Williams, commented: “Children under five have a dietary requirement for vitamin D. There are some dietary sources of vitamins in oily fish and eggs, and some foods are fortified such as fat spreads and breakfast cereals. However, it is difficult for young children in the quantities of food they eat to receive sufficient for their growing needs and therefore are at risk of being deficient. We support Prof Dame Sally Davies recommendation for universal supplementation.”