Healthy start vitamins free this winter

NHS Western Isles will be one of the only NHS Boards in Scotland to provide free of charge Healthy Start vitamin drops to children between the ages of six months and four years this winter.

Provision of the Healthy Start vitamin drops was recently extended by the Public Health Division to all children between the ages of six months and four years. The Healthy Start Vitamin Drops contain the A, C and D vitamins. Guidelines indicate our diets and lack of seasonal exposure to sunlight may mean that children are not getting enough of the important vitamins A and D.

Vitamins are therefore being provided free of charge to all children in this age group over this winter period. The vitamins are a supplement and not a replacement for an adequate healthy diet and must be administered as indicated on the bottle. The pilot programme will continue until the end of March 2010 and will then be reviewed.

Please contact your GP Surgery or Health Visitor for information on how you can obtain your child/children’s vitamins.

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