One way to help children achieve optimal body weight is to give them vitamins to increase their weight. There are several types of vitamins that are believed to increase appetite and complement the nutrition of children who have low body weight.
A child is said to have a normal weight if his body weight is balanced with his height and age. To find out your little one's weight, you can weigh your baby at home with your own scale or at the posyandu, health center, and doctor's office.
In order for your little one to be healthy and have a normal weight, you need to get used to eating nutritionally balanced foods, including carbohydrates, fats, proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals.
However, there are times when children find it difficult to eat and prefer to eat snacks or less healthy foods. Some children also like to choose food so that their nutritional needs are not met properly. As a result, it is difficult to gain or even lose weight.
To increase your little one's weight, there are several vitamins that can increase your child's weight, either through food or supplements.
4 Types of Children's Weight Gaining Vitamins
Taking vitamins can help the child's body to absorb iron and nutrients optimally, and increase the child's appetite.
To support growth and increase children's weight, there are several types of weight gain vitamins recommended by doctors, namely:
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A serves to maintain healthy eyes and skin, as well as strengthen the child's immune system. Vitamin A also has antioxidant properties that are good for maintaining a healthy body and helping children grow and develop. Children aged 1–9 years need about 400–500 mcg of vitamin A per day.
2. Vitamin B K complex
There are eight types of B vitamins and each type has different benefits. Vitamin B complex functions to help the child's body process food into a source of energy, as well as support the growth and development and health of the child's organs, especially the nervous system.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for maintaining a child's immune system and helping the absorption of iron from food. Iron is a mineral that plays an important role for growth and development and the formation of red blood cells in a child's body. Children aged 1-9 years need vitamin C as much as 40-45 mg per day.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D serves to increase the absorption of calcium by the body and maintain the child's immune system. Vitamin D is also useful for supporting the growth and development of children, especially the growth of bones and teeth.
Children aged 1 year and over need as much as 15 mcg of vitamin D every day. Vitamin D can be formed by the body naturally with the help of sun exposure. In addition, vitamin D can also be obtained from outside the body by eating foods rich in this vitamin, such as eggs, milk, and fish.
In addition to these four vitamins, other nutritional elements that can help increase a child's appetite and gain weight are: zinc and omega-3 and omega-6 which are abundant in fish oil.
Types of Good Food to Gain Weight in Children
Some types of food that are good for gaining weight in children are:
- Meats, such as lean chicken and beef
- Fish, including mackerel, milkfish, mackerel, salmon, and sardines
- Milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt
- Vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, collards, chickpeas, or cabbage
- Fruits, including papayas, bananas, avocados, oranges, and mangoes
- Nuts and seeds, such as kidney beans, soybeans, peanuts, green beans, oatmeal and whole wheat bread
To meet their daily vitamin needs, you can give your little one 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. One portion is equivalent to one small plate for a child. If your little one doesn't want to eat vegetables and fruit, you can process them into juice. smoothies, pudding, or fruit salad.
Providing Vitamin Supplements for Children's Weight Gain
Children's vitamin and nutritional needs can actually be met if they regularly eat balanced nutritious foods. However, if it is necessary, you can also give your child a weight gain vitamin supplement, especially if he is often sick or has difficulty eating.
However, before you decide to give your little one a weight gain vitamin supplement, it's a good idea to consult a doctor first to determine whether or not your little one really needs a vitamin supplement or not, as well as the type and dose of vitamins that need to be given.
If the child's weight is below normal, the doctor will generally recommend a healthy diet and provide vitamin supplements according to the child's needs. The dose of vitamins will be determined based on the age of the child.
Although a child's weight gain vitamin supplements can help meet the nutritional needs of your little one, you should still get used to eating healthy foods that are rich in vitamins. Try to be creative in making healthy foods with attractive flavors and shapes for your little one to want to eat them.