Vitamin supplements for children

[scorecard]

My 7 yo granddaughter seems to be memorizing some lessons (maths tables, language characters/pronunciation, more) at a lower rate than other kids.

 

A while back her parents had a professional assessment conducted to see if she has any of the known learning difficulties. The assessment produced no indications of any learning difficulties.

 

I've searched/googled many time for possible answers/help, and many times read that Vitamin B12 boosts memory capabilities and also that it's quite safe for chidren, even toddlers and also adults at an age where there's short term memory loss.

 

Are there any experts on this subject on AN?

 

Is so would you please share a professional opinion. Not looking for wild unprofessional comments.

 

Also, perhaps B12 is not the best supplement for this situation, suggestion of other possibilities appreciated.

 

If not inconvenient, Dr. Sharon would you please share your thoughts on this. 

Edited February 13, 2022 by scorecard

[dj230]

Briefly studied nutrition in university, you can get a blood test to test for vitamin b12 to check for a deficiency, supplementing vitamin b12 would be useful if the Child was deficient. 

 

Nutrition is very important, so if the child isn't eating a great diet, a multivitamin would be useful to cover any possible deficiencies. That being said you should buy the supplement from an extremely reputable company, I would recommend Kirkland (Costco) if you can get it, all the 3rd party testing for their supplements come back good. 

Unfortunately I am not familiar with any Thai companies/brands and you also have to be weary of counterfeit supplements. 

 

The supplement industry isn't regulated by the FDA or tested regularly for quality control or for label claims. This essentially means anything can be inside the supplement, it's actually a pretty scummy business (supplement industry). A lot of the supplements being advertised / promoted are complete scams and money grabs. 

 

One thing to keep in mind, vitamins are not the only essential nutrient that the body can't produce, there are minerals, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by dj230

[Sheryl]

It is highly unlikely the child has a B12 deficiency, and also usually not recommended to taker just one of the B vitamins in isolation as a general supplement (treatment of documented deficiencies is another matter).

 

You could try either a good potency B complex supplement or a multivitamin plus minerals supplement that includes all the B vitamins. Something like this:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/natures-way-kids-smart-multivitamin-for-fussy-eaters-i2069566580-s6756388984.html?&search=pdp_v2v?spm=a2o4m.pdp_revamp.recommendation_2.4.219b4adfuGYz6K&mp=1&scm=1007.16389.126158.0&clickTrackInfo=96c66907-aa5d-4f7d-a4b4-2e3920ef67a7__2069566580__14199__trigger2i__202835__0.229__0.229__0.0__0.0__0.0__0.229__3__8__PDPV2V__251__null__null__0____490.0__0.0__5.0__1__490.0__129896,141200,142007,152938__null__null__null__3650.16544_955.3632_3650.16542__null__13499__null__0.0__0.0__elp.4_star.6_starplus.5__

 

Might not help but can't hurt.

 

There are some other nutritional issues worth considering such as her blood sugar. What does she eat and when, relative to her studies? junk foods high in sugar will cause rebound hypoglycemia.

 

Also - is it possible something is worrying/troubling her? poor concentration can be a sign of trauma and children will sometimes be afraid to tell their parents about things that may have happened or be going on.

[Yellowtail]

Make some flash cards up and help her with it. 

[connda]

1 hour ago, dj230 said:

Briefly studied nutrition in university, you can get a blood test to test for vitamin b12 to check for a deficiency, supplementing vitamin b12 would be useful if the Child was deficient. 

 

Nutrition is very important, so if the child isn't eating a great diet, a multivitamin would be useful to cover any possible deficiencies. That being said you should buy the supplement from an extremely reputable company, I would recommend Kirkland (Costco) if you can get it, all the 3rd party testing for their supplements come back good. 

Unfortunately I am not familiar with any Thai companies/brands and you also have to be weary of counterfeit supplements. 

 

The supplement industry isn't regulated by the FDA or tested regularly for quality control or for label claims. This essentially means anything can be inside the supplement, it's actually a pretty scummy business (supplement industry). A lot of the supplements being advertised / promoted are complete scams and money grabs. 

 

One thing to keep in mind, vitamins are not the only essential nutrient that the body can't produce, there are minerals, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. 

 

 

If you suspect nutritional deficiencies, find a nutritionist and have them run a set up lab tests including test for heavy metals like lead.
You could also research nootropics, e.g. https://nootropics.com/introduction-to-nootropics

Then - just understand that some kid's brains mature at different rates.
As a kid I was at best an very average student with a "C" GPA. Failed algebra miserably in 7th grade.  "Aced" Geometry as a High School student two years later and pulled a solid "B" in Algebra and Trig later in HS.  Also, I'm mildly dyslexic. 
When I finally got serious about attending university in my 30s I was a "Straight-A" student with a 4.0 GPA in Computer Sci and Tech.  What changed?  As far as I'm concerned my brain developed slower than average.  It ain't the end of the world.  You're child may surprise you at a later time in their life.
In the meantime - give your child support and challenge them to be creative however that may manifest for your child.  And remember - She is 7 years old!!!  She has a whole lifetime in front of her.  Drop your expectations and allow your grandkid to mature in whatever manner that happens.  And shower her with love.  ❤️
 

Edited February 13, 2022 by connda

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Make some flash cards up and help her with it. 

Aleady happening and with some success.

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, connda said:

If you suspect nutritional deficiencies, find a nutritionist and have them run a set up lab tests including test for heavy metals like lead.
You could also research nootropics, e.g. https://nootropics.com/introduction-to-nootropics

Then - just understand that some kid's brains mature at different rates.
As a kid I was at best an very average student with a "C" GPA. Failed algebra miserably in 7th grade.  "Aced" Geometry as a High School student two years later and pulled a solid "B" in Algebra and Trig later in HS.  Also, I'm mildly dyslexic. 
When I finally got serious about attending university in my 30s I was a "Straight-A" student with a 4.0 GPA in Computer Sci and Tech.  What changed?  As far as I'm concerned my brain developed slower than average.  It ain't the end of the world.  You're child may surprise you at a later time in their life.
In the meantime - give your child support and challenge them to be creative however that may manifest for your child.  And remember - She is 7 years old!!!  She has a whole lifetime in front of her.  Drop your expectations and allow your grandkid to mature in whatever manner that happens.  And shower her with love.  ❤️
 

Can anybody recommend a qualified childrens' nutrition expert in Chiang Mai, capable of doing well accepted testing/assessment?

 

Thanks.

[FriendlyFarang]

Just buy some multivitamin pills and see if it improves, testing for all the vitamins costs quite a bit, definitely way more than a year of vitamins.

Search for "Centrum" on Lazada or Shopee, you get a year worth of pills for 1000 THB or so.

 

If she regularly eats vegetables and fruits vitamin pills shouldn't be required though.

 

If you just want to test for B12, you can do it here for 500THB: https://cmflabchiangmai.com/th/products/382252-ตรวจวิตามิน-บี-12-(vitamin-b12)

Edited February 13, 2022 by FriendlyFarang

[dj230]

6 hours ago, connda said:

If you suspect nutritional deficiencies, find a nutritionist and have them run a set up lab tests including test for heavy metals like lead.
You could also research nootropics, e.g. https://nootropics.com/introduction-to-nootropics

Then - just understand that some kid's brains mature at different rates.
As a kid I was at best an very average student with a "C" GPA. Failed algebra miserably in 7th grade.  "Aced" Geometry as a High School student two years later and pulled a solid "B" in Algebra and Trig later in HS.  Also, I'm mildly dyslexic. 
When I finally got serious about attending university in my 30s I was a "Straight-A" student with a 4.0 GPA in Computer Sci and Tech.  What changed?  As far as I'm concerned my brain developed slower than average.  It ain't the end of the world.  You're child may surprise you at a later time in their life.
In the meantime - give your child support and challenge them to be creative however that may manifest for your child.  And remember - She is 7 years old!!!  She has a whole lifetime in front of her.  Drop your expectations and allow your grandkid to mature in whatever manner that happens.  And shower her with love.  ❤️
 

Even though I was a nutritionist, I would never recommend anyone see a nutritionist for suspected heavy metal poisoning or even a nutrient deficiencies, those both need to diagnosed through a blood test. 

 

Recommending nootropics to a kid? Most of those aren't even well studied, the last thing you want to do is give this type of supplement to a child.

 

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Can anybody recommend a qualified childrens' nutrition expert in Chiang Mai, capable of doing well accepted testing/assessment?

 

Thanks.

For diagnosing nutrition deficiencies you need to go to a hospital, registered dietician or see a real doctor, don't go to any holistic expert or nutritionist for this.

Edited February 13, 2022 by dj230

[scorecard]

55 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Just buy some multivitamin pills and see if it improves, testing for all the vitamins costs quite a bit, definitely way more than a year of vitamins.

Search for "Centrum" on Lazada or Shopee, you get a year worth of pills for 1000 THB or so.

 

If she regularly eats vegetables and fruits vitamin pills shouldn't be required though.

 

If you just want to test for B12, you can do it here for 500THB: https://cmflabchiangmai.com/th/products/382252-ตรวจวิตามิน-บี-12-(vitamin-b12)

You mentioned Centrum multivitamins. I presume you mean Centrum multivitamins for women but is this suitable for a 7 year old girl?

 

Thanks.

[FriendlyFarang]

16 minutes ago, scorecard said:

You mentioned Centrum multivitamins. I presume you mean Centrum multivitamins for women but is this suitable for a 7 year old girl?

 

Thanks.

I don't think it matters much which you take, they all contain a mix of various vitamins and minerals.

Here you can compare them: https://www.centrum.com/product-comparison-page/

I just suggested Centrum because they can be bought for cheap compared to other brands here in Thailand.

Considering that the these pills are formulated for adults, for a little 7 year old girl have a pill per day (or one every other day) should cover everything.

 

Generally good to know:

There are water soluble vitamins (for example Vitamin C), these can't be overdosed no matter how much you take, the body will just excrete them.

Then there are fat soluble vitamins, these can theoretically be overdosed.

Edited February 13, 2022 by FriendlyFarang

[The Hammer2021]

Leave her alone!

[Sheryl]

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

You mentioned Centrum multivitamins. I presume you mean Centrum multivitamins for women but is this suitable for a 7 year old girl?

 

Thanks.

Vitamin dosages for children are different.

 

Please see my prior post where I suggested a locally available children's vitamin in gummy form.

[scorecard]

27 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Vitamin dosages for children are different.

 

Please see my prior post where I suggested a locally available children's vitamin in gummy form.

Thank you Dr. Sheryl. Always appreciate your professional balanced comments.

 

The earlier messages have suggestions which are way too open, and I (my family) have no intention of giving my granddaughter anything without proper fact gathering.

 

My daughter in law is now wanting to take her daughter to the children's doctor at McCormick for her opinion. Her father will also go and they want me to go with them (always very close family).

 

With all respect the Dr., is an old lady with old style ideas and I wonder whether she would be well informed about vitamins/vitamin deficiency etc. 

 

I'd appreciate your comment but realizing you might not want to comment on this aspect. 

 

Thanks again.

[Sheryl]

27 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Thank you Dr. Sheryl. Always appreciate your professional balanced comments.

 

The earlier messages have suggestions which are way too open, and I (my family) have no intention of giving my granddaughter anything without proper fact gathering.

 

My daughter in law is now wanting to take her daughter to the children's doctor at McCormick for her opinion. Her father will also go and they want me to go with them (always very close family).

 

With all respect the Dr., is an old lady with old style ideas and I wonder whether she would be well informed about vitamins/vitamin deficiency etc. 

 

I'd appreciate your comment but realizing you might not want to comment on this aspect. 

 

Thanks again.

Nutritional deficiencies are quite unlikely if she is eating well...and I really do nto think you will get anywhere on nutritional issues with any doctor here. An empirical trial of vitamin supplements, while it may nto help, cannto hurt as long as a preperation made for children and in recommended dose

 

More likely:

 

She is upset/troubled about somehting

OR

She may be a little slow mentally (not the same thing as a developmental disorder)

OR

She just needs time and is maturing at her own pace

 

For the first possibility, it is very difficult to get informtion out of a child that age, would need a trained child psychologist/therapist and several sessions

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Nutritional deficiencies are quite unlikely if she is eating well...and I really do nto think you will get anywhere on nutritional issues with any doctor here. An empirical trial of vitamin supplements, while it may nto help, cannto hurt as long as a preperation made for children and in recommended dose

 

More likely:

 

She is upset/troubled about somehting

OR

She may be a little slow mentally (not the same thing as a developmental disorder)

OR

She just needs time and is maturing at her own pace

 

For the first possibility, it is very difficult to get informtion out of a child that age, would need a trained child psychologist/therapist and several sessions

 

Again Dr. Sheryl, thank you. All good logical points.

 

Re your points, I do have some concern with one item and it's not only my granddaughter, other kids in her class too. Her main teacher last year was (excuse my words) a loud domineering quite old dragon. She started the lessons for reading Thai and frightened many of the kids (incl., my granddaughter) and they are terrified of her anger if they make a mistake. She walks around the room with a cane and continuously slaps the desks hard with her cane.

 

Both my son and his wife have a Thai bachelor degree in education, they give a lot of careful, balanced, never angry support to their 3 kids at home. Many times the girl involved in this matter won't answer/respond to reading practice and she had admitted that she's very frightened of making a mistake.

 

Same teacher for maths and same overall situation.

 

Bottom line on the above points her parents searched for another school with good reviews and at the start of next semester she will change schools with maths and science all taught by a qualified/experienced western teacher (26 years old) who incorporates the overall development of English language skills into all the lessons. 

 

My grandaughter actully has an advantage, her Thai father speaks perfect Thai and perfect English and her Thai mother speaks advanced English, native speaker Thai language.

 

At my sons request at home we only speak English and we carefully pull the 3 kids into English usage and it works.

 

Hopefully the new Thai language teacher will be more balanced/more calm. When my DIL was speaking to the new school she carefully mentioned the family concerns about the attitude, appraoch, anger of the current Thai teacher. New school head listened well and the head teacher actually made a plan for my DIL to come back the next day and talk to the new teacher and the head lady.

 

DIL came home very impressed and much more relaxed having had a good 2 way discussion with the new teacher.

 

My son has since spoken to the western teacher and son is quite impressed with his attitude and approach. 

 

We wait and see.  

 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by scorecard

[Sheryl]

21 hours ago, scorecard said:

Again Dr. Sheryl, thank you. All good logical points.

 

Re your points, I do have some concern with one item and it's not only my granddaughter, other kids in her class too. Her main teacher last year was (excuse my words) a loud domineering quite old dragon. She started the lessons for reading Thai and frightened many of the kids (incl., my granddaughter) and they are terrified of her anger if they make a mistake. She walks around the room with a cane and continuously slaps the desks hard with her cane.

 

Both my son and his wife have a Thai bachelor degree in education, they give a lot of careful, balanced, never angry support to their 3 kids at home. Many times the girl involved in this matter won't answer/respond to reading practice and she had admitted that she's very frightened of making a mistake.

 

Same teacher for maths and same overall situation.

 

Bottom line on the above points her parents searched for another school with good reviews and at the start of next semester she will change schools with maths and science all taught by a qualified/experienced western teacher (26 years old) who incorporates the overall development of English language skills into all the lessons. 

 

My grandaughter actully has an advantage, her Thai father speaks perfect Thai and perfect English and her Thai mother speaks advanced English, native speaker Thai language.

 

At my sons request at home we only speak English and we carefully pull the 3 kids into English usage and it works.

 

Hopefully the new Thai language teacher will be more balanced/more calm. When my DIL was speaking to the new school she carefully mentioned the family concerns about the attitude, appraoch, anger of the current Thai teacher. New school head listened well and the head teacher actually made a plan for my DIL to come back the next day and talk to the new teacher and the head lady.

 

DIL came home very impressed and much more relaxed having had a good 2 way discussion with the new teacher.

 

My son has since spoken to the western teacher and son is quite impressed with his attitude and approach. 

 

We wait and see.  

 

 

Indeed, what you describe could well have caused the problem.

 

I have seen this before in Asian children who were exposed to such teaching "methods".