Parents want the best for their kids, and when it comes to nutrition, vitamins can sometimes feel like a simple fix.
While children’s supplements are nothing new, increasingly, they are being marketed towards healthy kids, mimicking the wellness rhetoric of similar products targeting adults.
In 2025, the children’s supplements industry was valued at US$2.61 million ($3.7 million), according to Future Market Insights, and expected to double by 2035.
So, are kids’ supplements really necessary? Are they safe? And what should parents of fussy eaters do?
A ‘food first’ approach
While it’s true that growing bodies need more nutritional support, Danielle Shine, an accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist, says for most kids, a balanced diet should be enough.
Major health organisations, including the World Health Organisation and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council recommend a “food-first” approach.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend kids enjoy a wide variety of foods from the five major food groups, and limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt and sugar.
Shine says it’s important to distinguish between supplements marketed to parents of otherwise healthy kids, and those that serve a clinically indicated nutritional need, like:
- Faltering growth.
- Medically diagnosed nutrient deficiencies that can’t be met through food alone (such as vitamin B12 for kids on vegan diets).
- Medical conditions that affect nutrient intake, absorption or utilisation (such as cancer, cystic fibrosis or an eating disorder like Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)).
Amy Thompson, a lecturer of nutrition and dietetics at the University of the Sunshine Coast, agrees that for most children eating a varied diet, supplements aren’t necessary. “There are lots of important non-vitamin and mineral parts of foods that children can miss out on if they are relying on supplements to fill in those gaps, such as antioxidants, fibre and protein,” she adds.
Are they safe?
While most children’s vitamins are marketed as “natural”, Shine says the assumption that this makes them safe isn’t supported by any evidence.
“Many parents may not realise that these products are rarely tested for safety or effectiveness in children, can’t be assumed safe based on animal or adult data, and may increase the risk of cumulative toxicity or unpredictable interactions – particularly when multiple herbs are combined,” she says.
Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) in particular can pose risks of toxicity, since they are stored in fat and not excreted by the body, says Thompson.
Shine points to one 2026 narrative review, which found “supplements are understudied in paediatric populations,” meaning “there’s limited evidence to inform appropriate dosing, safety, or long-term use in children”.
Other research suggests “children may be particularly vulnerable to herb-drug interactions”, be susceptible to adverse health outcomes from herbal medicine or at greater risk to kidney and liver toxicity.
Another risk of relying on supplements is they can act as a Band-Aid solution to a potential health condition, says Thompson.
“If families are struggling with their child’s eating, their child is really tired, or they’re not sleeping or growing well, we encourage families to reach out for professional support instead of using products they can get from supermarkets and pharmacies.”
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates supplements as complementary medicines, meaning they monitor for safety and quality, but not efficacy.
While TGA-listed supplements are required to disclose the presence of non-active ingredients (excipients), like sugars, flavouring or colours, they are not required to disclose the quantity.
Indeed, Thompson says parents need to be wary of added ingredients in supplements, particularly sugars commonly found in liquid supplements like toddler milks and energy drinks.
“While sugars and food acids aren’t inherently harmful, the issue relates to dose, frequency, and delivery format,” says Shine.
Supplements like gummies, many of which recommend a dosage of two or three per day, can stick to teeth and, even with low levels of sugar, add up with regular consumption, she says.
Making sure kids meet nutritional needs
Thompson empathises with the pressures parents face from social media and marketing that can make them feel guilty about their kids’ diets.
But she reminds parents that “phases of fussy eating are developmentally normal for children,” and generally pass.
“Most Australian kids get all the nutrients they need from a balanced diet. Even children we describe as picky eaters are rarely deficient, and supplements don’t necessarily replace everything they need.”
“Provide a supportive feeding environment by offering meals in a relaxed, positive setting, following your child’s hunger and fullness cues, and avoiding pressure or coercion,” suggests Shine.
However, if fussy, avoidant or restrictive eating continues, experts recommend seeking help from a GP, paediatrician or dietician.
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