Ranked by evidence
Best supplements for children
Most well-fed children already meet their nutrient needs from food, and the clear exception is vitamin D for breastfed infants. Everything below is ranked by how strong the evidence is for this goal, not by how popular the product is. Several items only help in a specific situation, such as colic, diarrhoea or a cough, and are labelled that way.
Picks are ranked by the strength of published evidence for this goal in otherwise healthy adults. A persistent symptom needs a clinician's evaluation, and no supplement on this list replaces treatment.
Evidence last reviewed: September 2026
Top picks
| Option | Evidence | Best for | The honest note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant Vitamin D Drops | Strong evidence | breastfed infants | 400 IU a day from the first days of life prevents vitamin D deficiency in breastfed infants, and higher doses add nothing. Check the concentration on the bottle, since droppers differ and dosing errors have caused toxicity. | View |
Solid options
| Option | Evidence | Best for | The honest note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xylitol | Moderate evidence | fewer ear infections and cavities | As gum, lozenges or syrup it cut ear infections in healthy children by about a quarter, and replacing sugar with it lowers cavities. It only works taken several times a day, and it is highly toxic to dogs. | View |
Situational
| Option | Evidence | Best for | The honest note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lactobacillus Reuteri | Moderate evidence | colic in breastfed infants | Breastfed babies with colic given the DSM 17938 strain cried about 25 minutes a day less, while formula-fed infants saw no effect. Check the strain code, and have persistent crying assessed by a doctor first. | View |
| Saccharomyces Boulardii | Moderate evidence | diarrhoea and antibiotic courses | It shortens acute infectious diarrhoea in children by about a day and roughly halves the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Avoid it in children who are immunocompromised or have a central line. | View |
| Herbal Cough Syrups | Moderate evidence | cough in children over one | Honey probably reduces cough frequency and severity in children about as well as dextromethorphan. Never give honey to babies under 12 months because of the risk of infant botulism. | View |
Popular for this goal — but the evidence says skip
- Children's Multivitamin Limited evidence
Intake surveys show most well-fed children already meet their needs and it helps only where a real deficiency exists, while gummies add sugar and often lack iron and iodine.
- Children's Omega-3 Limited evidence
Trials in children who eat adequately show no consistent gains in cognition or learning, and the small ADHD effect is far below standard treatment.
- Children's Sleep Formulas Limited evidence
Melatonin evidence in children is low-certainty, gummy labels are often wrong, and accidental ingestions have risen sharply.
- Gripe Water Limited evidence
Good-quality trials do not support it for colic, and products vary enormously in what they contain.
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG Moderate evidence
A rigorous trial in 971 young children found it no better than placebo for acute gastroenteritis.
Our verdict
Give breastfed infants 400 IU of vitamin D a day, and keep everything else for specific problems: L. reuteri for colic in breastfed babies, S. boulardii for diarrhoea and honey for cough after the first year. Skip the daily gummy multivitamin, children's omega-3 for brain power and melatonin sleep gummies.