Toddler vitamins

After the first birthday a toddler eats small portions and changes their mind often. Growth carries on regardless. That is why the UK keeps one supplement on the list at this age: vitamin D. Between October and March the sunlight here is too weak for the skin to make enough, and food supplies very little. The official advice is 10 micrograms (400 IU) a day for children aged one to four, all year round. Everything else depends on how your child eats, which is why you will also find combined drops with vitamins A, C and D in this part of our supplements by life stage.

Form matters more than the front of the label

With a toddler, the form decides whether a supplement gets taken at all. Drops give you the most control: you count the dose and stir it into yoghurt or porridge. An oral spray helps when a spoon turns into a battle. Gummies taste like a treat, but check two things: whether the label allows your child's age, and how much sugar or sweetener sits in one piece. Chewable tablets are usually meant for children of three and up, because of the risk of choking. Powders suit families who already mix a bottle or a smoothie.

• Dose per serving, not per 100 ml, so you know what one drop or one gummy gives.
• Age on the label: many gummies and chewables start at three years.
• Vitamin A: normal in children's drops, but do not give two products that both contain it.
• No alcohol base in drops for this age.

How we choose toddler supplements

We look at three things: the form, the dose per serving and whether a combination makes sense. For toddlers we prefer vitamin D3 as drops or spray with a clearly marked dose, so 10 micrograms means 10 micrograms, not "one to three drops". We leave out products that squeeze fifteen ingredients into one gummy at token amounts, because a little of everything helps nobody. We buy directly from the brands, our compliance team checks every label before it goes live, and independent labs spot-check batches. You can read how we select brands and products.

What a supplement can and cannot do

A supplement fills a gap in the diet; it does not replace meals. Vitamin D contributes to the normal growth and development of bone in children, and vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Neither will end a fussy eating phase, which is common at this age and usually passes on its own.

Two practical points parents raise. First, add up the total: if you give a multivitamin and a separate vitamin D drop, count what is in both, not just one. Second, formula-fed babies who still drink more than 500 ml a day already get added vitamins, which matters in the months after your child turns one and starts drinking less. As your child grows and moves on from drops, our range of multivitamins offers broader options in tablet and chewable form. If your child was born early, has a restricted diet or takes medication, check with your health visitor or GP first.