As a parent, it’s completely natural to wonder whether your child is getting all the nutrients they need. Even with your best efforts to serve them balanced, hearty meals, small nutrition gaps can still happen.
Vitamin deficiencies in kids are fairly common, but when you know what to watch for, they become much easier to spot and manage. Subtle changes like lower energy, lack of focus, or slower physical growth can sometimes be early hints that something’s missing.
By recognizing these signs early, you can take simple, proactive steps to support your child’s nutrition and help them stay healthy and energetic at every stage of development.
What are vitamin deficiencies in children?
A vitamin deficiency happens when a child doesn’t receive enough of the essential vitamins or minerals their body needs to grow healthily. These nutrients support nearly every aspect of health — from energy and brain function to immunity, bone strength, and overall development.
The specific vitamins and minerals children require tend to change as they grow. Infants and toddlers, for instance, often benefit from more iron and iodine to aid the development of their brains and nervous systems, and vitamin A for vision and immunity. On the other hand, older kids and adolescents need vitamin D and calcium for bone and teeth strength, and vitamin B12 to aid in learning and memory.
Even mild shortages in these nutrients can affect how they learn, play, and interact with the world around them. Symptoms of vitamin deficiency among kids also tend to vary; sometimes it’s just feeling more tired than usual, while in other cases, children may seem to catch illnesses more easily.
The encouraging news is that most vitamin deficiencies are preventable. Offering a variety of nutrient-rich foods, maintaining balanced eating habits, and seeking guidance from a healthcare professional when needed can go a long way in keeping your child healthy and thriving.
Common vitamin deficiencies in kids and how to spot them
Children can fall short on important nutrients for several reasons — restricted food choices, environmental influences, or just plain picky eating, a habit many parents know all too well.
Knowing which vitamins are commonly missing and how to spot early warning signs can help you take action before small gaps turn into bigger concerns.
Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D helps children stay active and resilient by supporting energy, immunity, and calcium absorption for strong, healthy bones. Because our bodies naturally produce vitamin D from sunlight, children who spend less time outdoors or live in areas with long winters may not get substantial amounts of it.
Most children don’t show obvious symptoms, but in some cases, tiredness and mild muscle aches are typical signs of vitamin D deficiency in kids.
Include foods like salmon, light canned tuna, eggs, whole cow’s milk (for children aged one and older), yogurt, and cereals fortified with vitamin D in your child’s regular diet. Encouraging outdoor play during daylight hours also helps their bodies naturally produce more vitamin D.
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A supports clear vision, healthy skin, and a strong immune system. Children who eat few fruits, vegetables, or dairy products like milk and cheese may be at risk of falling short on this essential nutrient.
Here are some vitamin A deficiency symptoms in kids to pay close attention to:
- Night blindness or difficulty seeing in dim light
- Dry or scaly skin
- Frequent colds
- Other infections (including higher susceptibility to measles)
- Slowed physical growth
While oral supplements can help correct vitamin deficiencies in kids, improving eating habits is often an effective first step. Encourage your child to eat more colorful fruits and vegetables — especially orange, red, and yellow produce like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mangoes, cantaloupe, apricots, papaya, and red bell peppers. Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, lettuce, cabbage, and collard greens also contribute vitamin A.
Because vitamin A is fat-soluble, pairing these foods with a source of healthy fat can help the body absorb the nutrient more effectively. This can be as simple as adding a drizzle of dressing to salads.
Animal sources like egg yolks, milk, cheese, and liver can also support vitamin A intake while providing high-quality protein.
Vitamin K deficiency
Vitamin K helps blood clot properly and keeps bones healthy. While babies are typically born with low levels of the vitamin, most children build up their stores through regular meals as they grow.
Signs of vitamin K deficiency in kids and adults alike include:
- Easy bruising
- Nosebleeds
- Bleeding that takes longer to stop
- Pale skin or tired appearance
- Small red spots
Infants may show slightly different symptoms, such as yellowing of the eyes and skin or blood in the stool or urine. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises getting a one-time intramuscular shot of vitamin K for your baby to prevent deficiency.
For older kids, leafy greens like spinach, kale, broccoli, and lettuce, along with vegetable oils, some fruits like blueberries and figs, are gentle sources of vitamin K. Liven up daily meals by pairing these with pork, chicken, cheese, eggs, and soybeans — all of which also carry some amount of the vitamin.
Vitamin E deficiency
Vitamin E plays an essential role in many body processes. It acts as a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage, supports brain and nervous system development, and helps maintain healthy skin, vision, and immune function.
True vitamin E deficiency is rare in developed countries but can still occur. When it does, symptoms of vitamin E deficiency in kids mainly concern the nerves and muscles, specifically manifesting as:
- Slow reflexes
- Difficulty walking
- Loss of coordination
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness in limbs (and not knowing where they are without looking)
Other signs of this common vitamin deficiency among kids are vision problems and a weakened immune system.
Because vitamin E is fat-soluble, it’s best absorbed when eaten with healthy fats. Foods like vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, and fortified cereals make excellent choices.
Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency
Vitamin B12 and folate (vitamin B9) work closely together to aid healthy blood and brain function and energy production. They assist in making DNA and are key to forming healthy red blood cells, making them essential for both babies and growing children.
Children who eat very little animal-based food or none at all (if they’re on a vegetarian or vegan diet, for example) may have a harder time getting enough vitamin B12, while those who skip leafy greens or fortified grains may have lower levels of folate.
There’s also what experts call a “folate trap,” where folate becomes unusable without adequate vitamin B12 to work alongside it.
Deficiencies in either nutrient often cause similar symptoms, many of which are linked to anemia:
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Indigestion
- Poor appetite
- Problems with vision
- Feeling weak or tired
- Diarrhea
- Sore or red tongue
- Gaps in memory or understanding
- Mood changes
Maintaining a well-rounded diet is key to preventing vitamin deficiencies in kids. For instance, vitamin B12 can only be found in animal sources like meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy. However, if you practice plant-based diets, foods fortified with the vitamin, such as cereals and nutritional yeasts, work just as well.
Folate, on the other hand, is more widely available in foods such as leafy greens, citrus fruits, nuts, beans, grains, seafood, eggs, dairy, meat, and poultry.
Dietary supplements can also be useful, but it’s best to avoid self-prescribing. Checking in with both your child’s pediatrician and a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) ensures you get a clear picture of what’s actually needed. That way, any nutrient gaps are addressed safely, accurately, and with a plan that supports your child’s overall health.
Support your child’s growth with expert care from Health Loft
Every parent wants to see their child full of energy, growing well, and feeling their best. Nutrition plays a big part in that, but with children’s changing appetites, personal preferences, and the realities of everyday life, keeping their diets balanced isn’t always straightforward.
Even small nutrient gaps can affect how kids eat, play, and learn — but on the upside, most vitamin deficiencies in kids can be prevented by focusing on variety and consistency.
Work with a registered pediatric nutritionist to design meal plans and prescribe supplements that align with your child’s specific health needs, all while working within your family’s dietary preferences and budget.
Pediatric nutrition experts at Health Loft put compassion at the heart of our practice, assisting families like yours in building positive food habits aimed towards long-term health. We take time to understand your lifestyle, preferences, and overall goals to create a nutrition strategy that fits naturally into daily life.
With support from our team, you can be confident that your child is getting the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy. And because we believe in making professional care easier to access and stress-free for families everywhere, appointments are available through convenient telehealth sessions and may be covered by insurance.
A little guidance today can make a lasting impact on your little one’s tomorrow. Begin your child’s journey to better health today.
This article was reviewed by Katie Whitson, RD, LD. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not replace personalized nutritional advice.
