SEATTLE — But too much of a good thing is sometimes bad.
KIRO 7 found an increased number of parents in Washington have called for help after their kids took too many vitamins.
The Washington Poison Control Center says this could pose a real problem.
"He's young and healthy and still nursing," said Stephanie Dixson as she held onto her grandson at a park on Queen Anne.
Dixson is looking forward to the day her grandson will take vitamins to grow big and strong, but she still remembers quite a scare she got when her kids were little.
“One afternoon, my daughter and her little girlfriend got into the Flintstones vitamins and consumed the entire bottle. I called the poison control center, and they said that they were okay, but to beware of iron in the vitamins," she said.
The calls for help continue even now -- especially with gummy vitamins.
Dr. Alexander Garrard is the Director of the Washington Poison Control Center.
The center saw about a ten percent increase last year in calls about kids taking too many gummy vitamins.
“One of the first things we ask parents who call the Washington Poison Control Center is A: Does this product contain iron? In the 90s, iron was one of the leading causes of death in children under six years of age when it came to poisonings,” explained Garrard.
Since the 90s, iron in children’s vitamins has been reduced, but some products still contain some iron.
Asked how serious some symptoms could be, Garrard said: “A lot of nausea, vomiting, and maybe some diarrhea."
The Poison Control Center wants to remind parents to make sure their child understands vitamins are not candy.
“Parents should really be the individuals giving the vitamins to the child. They should not allow the child to self-administer the gummy vitamins,” said Garrard.
Also, keep your child’s vitamins away from adult or prenatal vitamins and other medications.
We find both adult and prenatal gummies online that kids could easily confuse.
Dixson is grateful she got help from the Poison Control Center many years ago, and it's a lesson she's passed down to her kids.
“We've discussed it through the years. They know, and they talk with their pediatrician about it,” she said.
The Washington Poison Control Center is a free service.
For questions or concerns, call 1-800-222-1222.
KIRO
