Multivitamins and Dietary Supplements for Children: What Parents Should Know About Potential Risks

Studies show that nearly a third of American children take nutritional supplements, the most popular of which include multivitamins, fish oil, melatonin and probiotics. But this worries some experts, who cite a lack of evidence on the benefits, or even the possible risk of damage to vital organs like the heart and liver.

"There is still no study showing a benefit in a normal child for multivitamins" and other supplements, said Dr. David Agus, medical associate of CBS News. "People take them to develop their muscles, others to develop their brains, others take them because they think they are nutritionally deficient." Parents say, "My child does not eat very well, let me give him a multivitamin. "Yet, there is no data to this effect and, at high concentrations, these pills can be harmful."

According to Agus, there are a number of potential consequences, including damage to the heart and liver. Taking probiotics can have an impact on normal intestinal bacteria, he added, and muscle stimulants can lead to cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

"Parents [and] Doctors must stand up and say: "Hey, eat real food." A pill is not going to make you do better on a test. … A pill will not help you to make the university team. The food will be, the exercise will be, studying will be, "he said.

For nervous children in the sporting events as they approach school, Agus recommended avoiding supplements for muscle building, energy and weight gain. "They do not work!" he said. "Clearly, taking a pill is not going to help them."

What will help, is a constant sleep. "Go to bed [at] at the same time and get up [at] At the same time, sports performance is improved, "he said.

"You have to push your child," he added. "There is no pill to get around the work needed to succeed."

If parents want medical advice about nutritional supplements for their child, Agus advised them to be "really open and honest with the doctor about supplements taken by their child." Ask the doctor – tell him: "Is there any benefit to my child?" In almost all cases, the answer will be no. "

He also warned that children take supplements such as melatonin to help them sleep. "Melatonin has not been studied in children in the long term," he said. "It affects the endocrine system, the muscles, the immune system, we have to stop."

The Council for Responsible Nutrition, which represents the supplement industry, told CBS News that it "recommends parents to talk to their children's pediatrician about their children's diet and whether a multivitamin or another dietary supplement can help. "