Similar proportion of parents report a problem with their child’s diet<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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MONDAY, April 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Half of parents report their child regularly has dietary supplements, according to the results of a survey released by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.<\/p>\n
Sarah J. Clark, M.P.H., and colleagues from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor conducted a survey of 1,251 households with at least one child (ages 1 to 10 years) in October 2021.<\/p>\n
According to the results of the poll, three in five parents say it is hard to get their child to eat a well-balanced diet, with roughly one-third saying their child is a picky eater (35 percent) or does not eat enough fruits and vegetables (31 percent). Just over half of parents (52 percent) say their child regularly takes a supplement, including multivitamins (78 percent), probiotics (45 percent), omega 3 (22 percent), or specific vitamins (44 percent) or minerals (25 percent). Regular supplement use is more common in higher-income households. Less than half of those using supplements (43 percent) say they discussed use with their child’s health care provider.<\/p>\n
“Providers should be diligent about discussing nutrition with families so they understand what a healthy diet should include and are using supplements appropriately,” Clark said in a statement. “In situations where families can’t afford to provide a healthy diet, providers may direct parents to social service programs that can help.”<\/p>\n