In the beginning: balanced nutrition for kids

Childhood is rife with broken bones, skinned knees and various maladies ranging from colds and flu to chicken pox and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Parents certainly have their hands full with healthy children, much less sick ones. To prevent illness and promote a healthy childhood, many parents turn to diet and nutrition since macronutrients, vitamins and minerals promote healthy minds and bodies.

Before Birth

From the very start of life, nutrition is key: A mother's diet during pregnancy affects the future of her fetus. By taking essential fatty acids (EFAs), for example, a pregnant woman can promote her baby's mental development even before it's born. "Pregnant women should consider the intake of omega-3 oils and evening primrose oil throughout pregnancy in order to possibly prevent preterm delivery, promote an easier birth, assist the baby's brain and eye health and preprogram the baby's cell membranes for optimum lifelong wellness," according to a Spring 2004 publication of Midwifery Today with International Midwife.

Australian researchers from the University of Dundee reported additional good news about EFAs--specifically the omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA). Their 2002 publication in Journal of Family Health Care indicated DHA and AA taken by the mother during lactation improves the baby's cognitive and visual development: Infants receiving EFAs through breast milk exhibited higher IQs than children who received an EFA-deficient formula.

Early Childhood

After gestation and infancy, proper nutrition is still essential, and supplements may give kids a healthful boost in brain power. According to The Healthy Foundation (THF)--a nonprofit organization that supplies at-risk youths with nutritional supplements through two of its programs: Vitamin Relief USA--Children First and Operation IQ--supplementation has several beneficial effects. A survey of 1,372 parents of children in the programs indicated that children taking supplements were more likely to show improvement in concentration (37 percent), grades (31 percent), energy (55 percent) and self-esteem (37 percent), as well as having reductions in irritability (31 percent), depression (29 percent) and anger (27 percent).

"We've seen a marked increase in academic performance, fewer sick days and more days in school attendance, and improved self-esteem," says Michael Morton, executive director of The Healthy Foundation and Vitamin Relief USA. "There has [also] been an observed decrease in oppositional, disruptive and bullying behavior. Why do we continue to do this work? It makes a positive difference now and in the future."

Emerging Research

Based on The Healthy Foundation's survey results, Congress awarded a $500,000 research contract to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to carry out a double-blind study investigating the effects of daily vitamin and mineral supplementation on the academic success of 1,500 fourth graders. The study concluded in May 2004, and results are expected to be released later this year.

Other research, however, already supports the effectiveness of supplementation in school-aged children. For instance, a 6-month study involving 220 Chinese students (8-12 years old) showed that kids who take multivitamins not only have better reading speed, learning capacity and math skills than children taking a placebo, but they also have higher bone mineral content and bone mass density as well.

Another group of 245 children receiving low-dose multivitamin and multimineral supplements demonstrated significant IQ gains, as reported by researchers from California State University, Stanislaus, in the February 2000 issue of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Interestingly, the California study noted differences in IQ gains between white and minority children, with minority children exhibiting greater gains. Researchers attributed this difference to the greater potential for inadequate nutrient intake among minority students.

Researchers from Stonybrook University Medical School in New York investigated the impact of B vitamins on academics. Their study, published in the May 2000 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, showed significant academic and behavioral improvements after only a few weeks of supplementation, with some children gaining 3-5 years in reading comprehension after 1 year of treatment.

The researchers also reported that for those students who discontinued supplement usage, academic declines were not apparent for at least 1 year, with significant drops not occurring until 2 years after treatment was stopped.

The Bottom Line

It becomes apparent that supplements can have beneficial effects on school-aged children by improving mental, physical and emotional health. It also appears that children with inadequate nutritional intake are at a bit of a disadvantage. In fact, the researchers from California State University, Stanislaus noted that the minority children in their trial presumably benefited front supplements more than their white peers because "they were too poorly nourished before supplementation for optimal brain function."