Vitamins

It's recommended that children aged 6 months to 5 years are given vitamin supplements containing vitamin A (233 micrograms), vitamin C (20 micrograms) and vitamin D (8.5-10 micrograms) every day. From the age of 1 year, their vitamin D supplement should be 10 micrograms or 400IU.

Babies who are having more than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day don't need vitamin supplements. This is because formula is fortified with vitamins A, C and D and other nutrients.

If you're breastfeeding your baby you should still give them a daily vitamin D supplement from birth, whether or not you're taking a supplement containing vitamin D yourself.

You can buy vitamin supplements in pharmacies and supermarkets – have a chat with your pharmacist if you're not sure which ones to get and they'll be happy to help. You may also be able to get free vitamin D supplements (see below).

Vitamin D has a number of important functions and is needed to support bone and muscle health. Vitamin D is made by our skin from sunlight. It's also found in small amounts in some foods, but it's difficult to meet recommended intakes of vitamin D from diet alone. In Scotland, we only get enough of the right kind of sunlight for our bodies to make vitamin D during the summer months.

Normally, 10–15 minutes of unprotected Scottish sun exposure is safe for all (although it's best to keep babies out of the sun). Once sunscreen is correctly applied, vitamin D synthesis is blocked. However, staying in the sun for prolonged periods without the protection of sunscreen increases the risk of skin cancer. 

Since it can be difficult to get enough vitamin D from diet alone, everyone (including children) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D. You can usually find this in your local supermarket or chemist. 

If you’re at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, it’s particularly important to take a daily supplement. Higher risk groups include:

• all pregnant and breastfeeding women
• children under 5 years old
• people who have low or no exposure to the sun, for example, people who cover their skin for cultural reasons, are housebound, confined indoors for long periods or live in an institution such as a care home
• people from minority ethnic groups with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian origin, who require more sun exposure to make as much vitamin D.

If you’re pregnant, you can get Healthy Start vitamins, which contain vitamin D, for free. Ask your midwife for further information. 

Children up to 3 years old can get free vitamin D supplements. Please contact your health visitor for more information. 

You can find out more about vitamin D here.

Vitamin A is important for strengthening the immune system and helping us fight off infections. It's also good for helping us see in dim light and keeping our skin healthy. 

Good sources of vitamin A include:

• dairy products like pasteurised milk, cheese and yoghurt
• eggs
• fortified fat spreads
• carrots, sweet potatoes, swede and mangoes
• dark green vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli.

Vitamin C is important for general health, like keeping the cells in our bodies healthy and healing wounds. 

Lots of fruit and vegetables contain vitamin C. Good sources include:

• citrus fruit – including oranges and grapefruit
• red and green peppers
• potatoes
• strawberries, blueberries and blackberries
• green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and brussel sprouts.

Folic acid (vitamin B9) supplementation is important in the very early stages of pregnancy and before you even become pregnant. 

That is why if you’re planning on having a baby, it’s recommended you take folic acid from 3 months before becoming pregnant. 

If you’ve already started trying for a baby, don’t worry – just begin taking the folic acid as soon as you can. If you find you are already pregnant, then try to start taking folic acid daily as soon as possible up to week 12 of pregnancy.

You can buy folic acid in your local supermarket or pharmacy. There's no need to take a multi-vitamin – it's usually cheaper to buy folic acid separately. Your local pharmacist will be happy to help you and offer advice on buying and taking over the counter medicines. You can also speak privately to your pharmacist about your pre-pregnancy care.

Once you know you are pregnant you can get Healthy Start vitamins from your midwife, which contains the right dose of folic acid.

You can find out more about folic acid, and the other vitamins and minerals which are important during pregnancy on NHS Inform.

These vitamins are recommended for children and pregnant women. You can find out more about the different vitamins and which foods you can find them in on the NHS Inform website.