Zinc
Dosages for Children By Elizabeth Wolfenden
Children need to get enough zinc to grow and develop properly. The nutrient helps the body make proteins and DNA, and also helps the immune system fight off bacteria and viruses. While most children can get enough zinc through diet alone, supplementation may prove useful in some circumstances. Parents who give zinc supplements to their children should make sure the dosage is appropriate.
Ask a doctor if you are unsure how much zinc your child needs.
Recommended Dietary Allowance
The minimum amount of zinc children need depends on their age. The recommended dietary allowance, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, children between the ages of 4 to 8 should get at least 5 milligrams, while children between the ages of 9 and 13 should get at least 9 milligrams of zinc. The recommended dietary allowance of teenagers depends on gender. Teenage boys between the ages of 14 and 18 should get at least 11 milligrams of zinc each day, while teenage girls the same age need only 9 milligrams of zinc a day.
Vitamin C
The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board recommends that children between 4 and 8 years old should consume 25 milligrams of vitamin C each day, while the recommended daily allowance for children from 9 to 13 years is 45 milligrams daily. Teenage boys up to 18 years old require 65 milligrams, and adolescent girls of the same age should have 75 milligrams.
Excess supplementation of Vitamin C may cause-
Redness and warm feeling on skin.
Headache
Nausea & Vomiting
Diarrhea
Kidney stones
