Dosage Guidelines for Herbs and Nutritional Supplements





For many of the treatments that are recommended in this section, dosage instructions may be found on the products themselves, whether as part of the product label or your doctor’s prescription. This is particularly true of the conventional medicines and homeopathic remedies. There are two categories of treatments where label information may not be sufficient, however: herbal treatment preparations and nutritional supplements.


Herbal Dosages



When treating your child with herbs, it is important to base the dosage on your child’s age, weight, and condition. Unless otherwise specified elsewhere in this book, use the following age-specific dosage equivalents when administering herbal remedies:


  • Newborn to two years. One dosage equals 3 drops of tincture diluted in 1/4 cup of water, formula, or breast milk, or 2 to 3 teaspoons of tea. A nursing mother may also take an adult dose of the appropriate herbal treatment. The herbs will be transmitted to her baby through her breast milk, filtered and diluted to the appropriate strength.


  • Two to six years. One dose equals 6 to 10 drops of tincture diluted in 1/4 cup of water, or 1/4 cup of tea.


  • Six to twelve years.One dosage equals 10 to 20 drops of tincture, 1/2 cup of tea, or 2 tablets or capsules.


  • Twelve years to adultOne dose equals 20 to 40 drops of tincture, 1 cup of tea, or 2 tablets or capsules.


    Nutritional Supplement Dosages



    For nutritional supplements, unless other dosage levels are specified in the individual entries, consult the table below for the appropriate therapeutic dosages of the various supplements recommended in the Part Two entries.


    Note that all the amounts in this table are therapeutic doses. That is, they do not necessarily represent the amounts of these nutrients that your child needs on a daily basis, but rather increased amounts that may be helpful for certain conditions when taken for limited periods of time. Also, some dosages are given in international units (IU); others in milligrams (mg); and still others in micrograms (mcg, the equivalent of 1/1000 of a milligram).






  • Therapeutic Dosages of Nutritional Supplements for Children

    Supplement
    Birth-6
    Months
    6-12
    Months
    13 Months-
    2 Years
    3-4
    Years
    5-6
    Years
    7-11
    Years
    12-15
    Years
    16-18
    Years
    VITAMINS�
    Vitamin A/
    Beta-Carotene

    2,000 IU 2,000 IU 2,500 IU 2,500 IU 3,000 IU4,000 IU5,000 IU5,000 IU
    Vitamin B1
    (Thiamine)

    400 mcg 600 mcg 800 mcg 800 mcg 1,000 mcg
    (1 mg)
    1,500 mcg
    (1.5 mg)
    1,500 mcg
    (1.5 mg)
    1,500 mcg
    (1.5 mg)
    Vitamin B2
    (Riboflavin)

    500 mcg 700 mcg 900 mcg 1,000 mcg
    (1 mg)
    1,200 mcg
    (1.2 mg)
    1,600 mcg
    (1.6 mg)
    2,000 mcg
    (2 mg)
    2,000 mcg
    (2 mg)
    Vitamin B5
    (Pantothenic acid)

    3 mg 3 mg 4 mg 4 mg 4 mg15-25 mg50 mg50 mg
    Vitamin B6
    (Pyridoxine)

    400 mcg 600 mcg1,000 mcg
    (1 mg)
    1,000 mcg
    (1 mg)
    1,500 mcg
    (1.5 mg)
    2,000 mcg
    (2 mg)
    2,500 mcg
    (2.5 mg)
    2,500 mcg
    (2.5 mg)
    Vitamin B12
    (Cobalamin)

    1 mcg 2 mcg 2.5 mcg 3 mcg 4 mcg5 mcg5 mcg5 mcg
    Biotin

    50 mcg 50 mcg 50 mcg 75 mcg 100 mcg150 mcg200 mcg200 mcg
    Folic acid

    40 mcg 60 mcg 100 mcg150 mcg 250 mcg350 mcg400 mcg400 mcg
    Vitamin C

    40 mg 60 mg 100 mg 150 mg 150 mg200-500 mg300-500 mg300-500 mg
    Bioflavinoids*

    40 mg 60 mg 100 mg 100 mg 150 mg200-500 mg300-500 mg300-500 mg
    Vitamin D

    100 IU 100 IU 100 IU 100 IU 100 IU100 IU100 IU100 IU
    Vitamin E

    5 IU 6 IU 8 IU 15 IU 20 IU25 IU50 IU75-100 IU
    MINERALS
    Calcium

    400 mg 600 mg 800 mg 800 mg 800 mg850 mg1,200 mg1,200 mg
    Chromium

    50 mcg 60 mcg 80 mcg 80 mcg120 mcg200 mcg200 mcg200 mcg
    Iron

    10 mg 15 mg 15 mg 15 mg 12 mg12 mg18 mg18 mg
    Magnesium

    70 mg 90 mg 150 mg 200 mg 250 mg300 mg350 mg400 mg
    Selenium

    40 mcg 60 mcg 80 mcg 100 mcg 150 mg200 mcg200 mcg200 mcg
    Zinc

    4 mg 6 mg 10 mg 10 mg 10 mg10 mg15 mg15 mg
    *Bioflavinoids are not technically vitamins, however, they are often considered together with vitamins because they work synergistically with Vitamin C, and many supplements that supply bioflavinoids combine them with that vitamin.



    From Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand, N.D., L.Ac., Robert Rountree, MD, Rachel Walton, RN, �1994. Published by Avery Publishing, New York. For personal use only; neither the digital nor printed copy may be copied or sold. Reproduced by permission.

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    Written by Janet Zand LAc OMD

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