We were probably all told by our parents to eat our vegetables because we needed our vitamins to grow. While this is certainly true, if you’re creating a children’s vitamin, it’s a good idea to choose the right nutrients to include.

Not all vitamins are created equal and kids need plenty of variety to get the right nutrients for their body. While most children can get adequate nutrients from a good diet, it’s always a good idea for parents to include a multi-vitamin for children in their daily routine.

The needed vitamins for a child will depend on their age, sex, size, activity level, and how they are growing. Some of the key vitamins children need include:

• Calcium
• Iron
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D

When choosing the ingredients for your children’s vitamin, it would be wise to consider these main vitamins. It’s not uncommon for some children to struggle to get enough vitamin B12 or vitamin D in their diet. Let’s look at the top three vitamins for children to help you better formulate your children’s vitamin.

Calcium

One of the most important nutrients for a child is calcium. It’s the building block for teeth and bones, which are developing within a child from birth all the way through until adult years.

Depending on the age of the child, the need may be a bit different. Children age 1 to 3 need about 700 milligrams per day, while children age 4 to 8 need about 1,000 mg. Once a child reaches age 9, the daily need goes up to 1,300 mg and stays there until they are no longer a child.

When creating a vitamin for children, consider the necessary amount of nutrients for your target audience. If the vitamin you want to create and sell is aimed at younger children, you may need less calcium in it than if it’s aimed at older children.

Vitamin A

Another important nutrient for children, Vitamin A helps with skin health and with normal growth. It’s used by the body to help with eyesight and for tissue repair. Larger quantities of vitamin A are found in orange and yellow vegetables, along with liver and dairy products.

It’s possible a child may struggle to get enough vitamin A, depending on their diet. If a child cannot have dairy products and doesn’t eat vegetables regularly, a children’s vitamin with plenty of vitamin A will help provide what they need.

Vitamin D

Calcium and vitamin D work together as vitamin D makes it easier for a child’s bones and teeth to absorb calcium. It’s a harder vitamin for children to get unless they spend plenty of time in the sunlight. Vitamin D naturally occurs in the skin but requires sunlight to stimulate the skin. If a child wears sunscreen regularly or doesn’t spend enough time outside, a vitamin supplement may be necessary. Since vitamin D and calcium work together, it makes sense to include both in the same vitamin for children. When partnering with a vitamin contract manufacturing company, it may be a good idea to choose a formula with both vitamin D and calcium as a part of your multi-vitamin for children.