Dr. Lynn Cates
Specializing in pediatric infectious diseases and childhood immunizations.
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 Ask Dr. Cates
Kids & Vitamin C | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Cates,
Can a five-year-old take 500 mg. of Vitamin C safely? What is the right dosage? I just want to boost my son's immune system in the winter to try to avoid months of ear and throat infections and runny noses.
— worried mom in United Kingdom | | | ANSWER |
October 25, 2000 | | | Dear Worried Mom,
There's been a lot of controversy about whether or not high doses of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) prevent colds. There's no good scientific evidence indicating that Vitamin C actually prevents colds in children. However, some adult studies suggest that very high doses (two grams--note, not milligrams!--per day) may help prevent colds, and gigantic doses (eight grams a day) on the first day of illness sometimes help decrease the duration of symptoms. Other studies do not show any such benefit.
The daily dietary allowance of Vitamin C for five-year-olds is 45 mg. (Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council), and there's no recommended dosage at all for Vitamin C as a cold-prevention treatment. Clearly, 500 mg. is a high dose for a five-year-old, and while it might seem as if there's no harm in trying it on your child, Vitamin C, like all other vitamins and herbs, can have harmful side effects. In the case of Vitamin C taken in large doses, these include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness.
Frankly, the best way to help ensure a child's immunity is as good as possible is to see that he regularly gets well-balanced, nourishing meals and plenty of rest and exercise. It's impossible to prevent all respiratory infections, but teaching your child about regular handwashing also will help reduce the number of infections he gets.
— by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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