Pediatricians give these 4 types of nutritional supplements to their children. her to have good health all year long.

• Dr. Whitney Casares is a pediatrician in Portland who has spent years studying how to keep children healthy.

• She gave her children four supplementary meals. her own every day

• She gives them vitamin D, fluoride, probiotics and melatonin.

Dr. Whitney Casares is a pediatrician, author, and Podcast who has dedicated her career to ensuring that mothers and their children Be healthy and happy.

As the mother of two children, Casares also knows how hard parents work to keep their children healthy. And how difficult is it to give advice on children’s health?

For example, walking through the supplement aisle at a drugstore can quickly become overwhelming. And it can be difficult to know which supplements can help your child. To stay healthy, Insider asked Casares what supplements she gives her children.

For most children That’s especially true if they’re getting a balanced diet. “They really don’t need any supplements,” Casares says. But there are sometimes cases in which a child might benefit from supplements.

Here are four supplements that Casares gives to her own children.

Vitamin D

At higher latitudes, such as Portland, Oregon, where Casares lives, it can be difficult for both children and adults to get enough sunlight to meet their daily vitamin D needs.

“Sometimes we don’t get more than 15 minutes of direct sunlight for eight months of the year,” Casares said.

To make sure that your children She is getting enough vitamin D, which is necessary for the development of strong bones in children. So she gave them vitamin D supplements.

“In the summer If parents want to skip vitamin D and take their kids It’s awesome to get out in the sun!” Casares said. “But many times parents will continue to receive vitamin D. Because that gives them consistency all the time.”

Fluoride

Depending on where you live, your children may benefit from fluoride, Casares said. Fluoride is essential for healthy tooth development. And while some cities add fluoride to drinking water But some cities do not add fluoride to drinking water.

“In the Portland metro area. We do not have fluoride in our water,” Casares said. “I recommend that unless the parents live in an area where fluoride is added to the water, They should also give their children fluoride supplements.”

The amount of fluoride your child needs depends on their age, Casares says, so she recommends that parents discuss dosage and frequency with their child’s pediatrician.

Casares also said she recommends that children Brush your teeth with fluoride-enhanced toothpaste. “Just a grain of rice twice a day is amazing.”

If you’re not sure if the water in your area already has fluoride, You can check most states using This map.

Probiotics

If her children are receiving antibiotics for a bacterial infection, Casares gives them probiotics to boost healthy gut bacteria.

“If a child or adult of any age is given antibiotics for something like pneumonia or an ear infection,” Casares said, “I want to make sure that we’re introducing healthy bacteria at the same time as the antibiotics. try to get rid of of bacteria that are not good for our body’s health”

She recommends that children 1 year and older be given probiotics containing 20 billion colony-forming units for the duration of their antibiotic course. And a week later

“That can happen if the child has a gastrointestinal illness, such as diarrhea or vomiting,” Casares said.

For children who are taking antibiotics She recommends stress-fighting probiotics. Lactobacillus.

Melatonin

Melatonin for children is controversial, Casares said, because “we don’t have many studies showing long-term effects of melatonin on children’s sleep structure or on brain development.”

There is also concern about melatonin in children because some researchers Wondering if it can delay puberty?Although more research is needed.

However, there are experts who recommend it. Melatonin for each of her children to help them sleep individually. Her oldest child is autistic. And her youngest child has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Both of these conditions can make it difficult for children to sleep.

Both of Casares’ children take melatonin, though. But she definitely doesn’t recommend using it for all children.

“I would be very cautious when it comes to melatonin,” Casares says. “Go see your pediatrician to see if the benefits of using melatonin outweigh the risks.”

She said for all dietary supplements. While some supplements can be beneficial for children, Casares says it’s important to talk with your child’s pediatrician first.

And just because something is “All natural” doesn’t mean it’s good for your child.

“I keep reminding myself that Poison Oak is natural, too. Poison Ivy is natural. And I don’t want to rub it all over my skin,” she said.

Read the original article on Insider.