How much Vit C for a sick toddler?

mrsfrenchy · 11-07-2009, 01:17 PM

How much Vit C would you give a sick (daycare-attending) toddler (sick as in nasty cough, feeling crummy--but not feverish, etc)? And would you continue this dose when they were not sick

We have some liquid Vit C that suggests the dose for an 16 month old would be about 250 mg/day. But DD won't take the liquid stuff. So we got the Hylands Vit C tablets (which DD will eat like candy and gets mad when I say 'thats all you can have'), but their recommened dosage is only 25-50 mg/day for 2years+

How much can she / should she have? (I don't mind giving her several of the hylands a day since she likes them, I just don't want to give her too much.)

Thank you.

AprilM · 11-07-2009, 10:04 PM

Hi. I am glad you asked this question, because ds is sick, and we too have the Hyland's vitamin C tabs and am wondering if I can give him more than the 25-50 mg a day.

3plus2isme · 11-08-2009, 12:15 AM

I've been wondering the same thing... we seem to be fighting something and the boys normally get 50mg but I was wondering if I can/should up it.

AprilM · 11-08-2009, 10:44 AM

Some mamas here give sodium ascorbate to bowel tolerance when their child is sick, which I am thinking is WAY more than 50 mg. I was on the Hyland's site last night and here is a quote from their vitamin C page:

Quote:

Most youngsters today take multiple vitamin supplements every day, but many parents feel that extra Vitamin C is important. With Hyland's lemon -flavored tablets, you can give your child as much extra as needed.

That last sentence.....

Quote:

you can give your child as much extra as needed

makes it sound as if it is ok to give as much you feel your child needs.

Marnica · 11-08-2009, 01:06 PM

SA to bowel tolerance is what is needed when a child is ill. Hylands won't come close to cutting what your child's body needs to fight an infection. 50mg a day for a healthy child is a joke anyway let alone when they are sick. I would think that you' d have to use an entire bottle in a day of the hylands to get close to a dose that would be effective. I would conjole and bribe and do whatever I had to to get him to take the SA....hide it in juice..in a smoothie...whatever. The dose should be 250-375 mg per kg of body weight. 1 kg = 2.2 pounds. My son is 22 pounds so he weighs 10 kg. Dosing him while ill (which he happens to be right now) would be (starting at the 250 mark) 2500mg/day in divided doses over a 24 hr period. If there is no loose poop, Id up it by 50 mg until I got some loose poop and then back off a tad and that is the dose he requires. I was very sick last week and was dosing myself....I was able to take upwards of 15,000mg before I got bowel involvement. When I am healthy it only takes about 3,000mg before bowel tolerance. This demonstrates that when you are sick, the body is utilizing much more Vit C.