Vitamin Supplements for Ear Infection Prevention & Healing in Children

Vitamins supplements can aid in healing or preventing ear infections. Researchers at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary discovered in 2001 how giving children cod liver oil, vitamin A and selenium supplements steadily decreased the number of ear infections in those children it was administered to. Other vitamins are beneficial in treating ear infections as well.

Types

• Some vitamins that are beneficial to treating and preventing ear infections are B-complex vitamins that contain vitamins B6 and B12. Also, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and selenium are beneficial.

Forms

• Most of these vitamins come in pill, chewable, liquid and gummy forms.

Dosage

• Some recommendations are to take 50 mg times your child's age in years of vitamin C every two hours during the infection, 2.5 mg times a child's age of zinc daily, 50,000 IU daily for up to two days in children younger than 6 and four days in children older than 6 of vitamin A. Children older than 4 should be given 100 mg a day of vitamin E and 30 micrograms of selenium twice daily.

Effects

• All of these vitamins are antioxidants, support immune function, reduce inflammation and will enable the immune system to fight off germs and lessen the severity and duration of an infection.

Warnings

• Always follow the recommended dosage printed on the outside of your vitamin container unless otherwise directed by a physician.