Most vitamins and supplements for children are carefully scrutinized, as well they should be. If your child is under a certain age, generally under the age of two, he or she will most likely not even take or need to take vitamins or supplements. There are some types of infant medication for those two years of age and under when absolutely medically necessary, but for the most part when we talk about medicine (or vitamins and supplements) for children we are speaking about children ages four and older. Until then, the most you will likely give your baby without a prescription is Infant Tylenol or Motrin, or teething or gas relief.

If you do choose to give your infant pain relievers of any of the above variety, however, you do not need to rely on the major drug companies to do so. While Tylenol and Motrin can bring much-needed relief to a teething baby or one who has a fever, they are not the only options available. There are many different homeopathic remedies for your infant or young toddler who is fussy because of gas or stomach pains, or what they call "colicky". There are companies who make colic and teething tablets specifically for this reason. They usually come in a very small pellet form, and they are pleasant tasting and mildly sweet. You can dissolve them in your baby’s milk or water or even allow them to dissolve under the tongue. With this type of remedy, you can give him or her a dose far more often than you can with a stronger medicine like Tylenol.

These homeopathic ingredients include natural sources like ginger and chamomile, which tend to settle little stomachs and calm frayed nerves. Along similar lines, there are natural remedies for pain relief too for your young one. One word of caution, is that some pediatricians in recent years warn against giving honey to a child under a certain age; depending on who your doctor is, that age is one or two years old. Some of the natural remedies do contain honey, especially those that are aimed at quieting a cough. Check with your child’s pediatrician before undertaking any sort of vitamin or supplement regimen for your baby.

If your baby is a bit older, chances are he or she will be on a vitamin routine. There are plenty of tasty vitamins for children that come in low-sugar forms and have a less medicinal taste than the traditional vitamins bought in your local grocery store. The latest trend in children’s vitamins is to make them into a gummi candy. Rather than buy sugar-laden gummi bears that are also vitamins, however, you can get a similar version in a more natural, healthy form. These contain natural gums and honey or fructose as the sweetener (which is fruit sugar) instead of corn syrups or other processed ingredients. If your son or daughter is of the age where he is able to take symptom-relievers for congestion, runny noses, allergies, or colds and flu, there are plenty of natural supplements to choose from in this area also.

As previously mentioned, honey is a great all-natural cough relief and it is contained in many a children’s cough syrup. Menthol is another all-natural ingredient that is used for congestion. It is probably too strong to take orally at such a young age, and may even be too strong to rub on a child’s skin to improve breathing. However, you can add it to a humidifier while he or she sleeps and the vapors will help soothe his throat and ease the chest congestion.

As for cold and flu, many natural remedies contain the mineral zinc, which may be difficult for children to get enough of if they are picky eaters. Many young tots tend to prefer foods like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese; obviously they will be falling short on their supply of zinc if this is the case with your child! An herbal remedy for colds and flu is Echinacea, but this is a relatively strong herb and will need to be administered sparingly if at all to one so young. If you are adamant about keeping all of your child’s remedies natural and pure, it may be used but not without medical oversight. Make sure to check with your child’s pediatrician before starting him or her on any supplement regimen.

There is no reason a child cannot benefit from herbal, vitamin or mineral supplements just as an adult would. With careful supervision and parental control, your child can get healthy and stay healthy without prescriptions and without seeing the standard "M.D." each time he or she has a cold. Consult a D.O. or a naturopath if you are concerned about how to start, and take steps to keep your child on a healthy path.