However appealing and persuasive children's food supplements may be, the best way for a child to get all the vitamins and minerals he needs is from a healthy diet filled with fruit and vegetables.

Dr Ong Hian Tat, senior consultant in the paediatrics department at the National University Hospital's Children's Medical Institute, said parents should give supplements only if they have been prescribed as medical treatments.

Some chronic illnesses, like liver disease and intestinal disorders, can result in vitamin or mineral deficiencies and require supplementation, Dr Ong said.

Dr Ong Eng Keow, consultant neo-natalist in the Singapore Baby & Child Clinic at Thomson Medical Centre, said premature babies are also given iron supplementation because they have depleted iron stores.

A diet of vegetables and fruit may seem straightforward enough, but as parents know, children do not always agree.

Said NUH's Dr Ong: 'From six months to a year old, introduce vegetables and fruit. The infant gets used to the consistency of food this way.'

And if they do not like one vegetable, try another, and then another. Do not give up.

He added: 'Parental reaction is to supplement, thinking that you are replacing the vitamins or minerals in the omitted food.'

But there are many more benefits to actual foods. Recent data suggests that fruit and vegetables slow down memory deterioration in later life.

Dr Ong Eng Keow suggested that parents be adventurous in getting nutrients to their child. If a fussy eater only wants ice-cream, then grate vegetables on top. But do not force the issue.

'You don't want the child to become food phobic,' he said.

In temperate countries where there is little sunshine, children may be deficient in vitamin D and calcium.

Said Dr Ong Eng Keow: 'In the local context, children are exposed to the sun most of the day, so calcium supplements are not necessary.'

Feeding the child's brain is an issue that often preoccupies parents. NUH's Dr Ong advised mothers to eat oily fish, fruit and vegetables after breastfeeding for six months.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are important building blocks of cell membranes and neurological systems.

If the child does not like oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines, then Omega-3 supplements may be helpful.

There is one thing that the doctors do encourage, and that is probiotics.

They are helpful in reducing allergies, such as food allergies and asthma, as well as improving immunity.

Said Dr Ong Eng Keow: 'A bottle of Vitagen or Yakult each day is not enough.' He suggested probiotics in the form of concentrated pills or drops, which doctors will prescribe.

The experts say that before parents give their children any supplements, they should always talk to a paediatrician or their general practitioner for recommendations.

This article first appeared in Mind Your Body, Jan 24 2007