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Children's Chewable Vitamins With Iron: Their Potential Danger

C A Viets, N Bilodeau, M J Langstaff

    Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
    |May 15, 2010
    PubMed

    Insights

    Iron poisoning in children is rising due to chewable vitamins. These products often contain dangerous iron levels, necessitating removal from children

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric toxicology
    • Nutritional science
    • Public health

    Background:

    • Increasing incidence of iron poisoning in children.
    • Concerns regarding the iron content in chewable vitamin products.
    • Potential for accidental overdose due to misinterpretation of labels.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To assess the iron content of children's chewable vitamins.
    • To evaluate the risk of iron poisoning from these products.
    • To recommend safety measures for iron-containing supplements.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of nine children's chewable vitamin products.
    • Analysis of iron content per package.
    • Comparison of product iron levels with lethal doses for young children.

    Main Results:

    • All reviewed products contained more than the lethal dose of iron for a young child.
    • Inconsistent labeling can lead to misinterpretation of actual iron content.
    • A typical Canadian child's diet already exceeds minimum daily iron requirements.

    Conclusions:

    • Iron should be removed from children's chewable vitamin products.
    • Standardization of labeling for iron-containing products is crucial.
    • Regulation of over-the-counter sale of iron supplements is recommended.

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