Parents are reportedly spending an average of £234 each year on vitamins and supplements for their children, primarily to enhance immunity and focus, a new survey suggests.
This expenditure is almost identical to the £241 parents allocate annually for their own supplements, according to research from the Buy Now, Pay Later platform Clearpay.
A substantial 92 per cent of parents have purchased vitamins and supplements for their child over the past year.
Multivitamins emerged as the most popular choice at 89 per cent, followed by Vitamin C (65 per cent), Vitamin D (61 per cent), probiotic yoghurts (56 per cent), and iron (51 per cent).
Clearpay’s internal sales data reveals a significant increase in demand for certain products, with magnesium for children soaring by 296 per cent year-on-year.
Vitamin D sales also rose by 231 per cent, and probiotic drinks by 228 per cent.
Looking ahead, 44 per cent of parents intend to increase their spending on children's supplements this year. The main reasons cited for these purchases include boosting immunity (51 per cent), avoiding illness (36 per cent), and improving focus and concentration (24 per cent).
Nearly one in five parents (17 per cent) said they bought vitamins and supplements to avoid their children being off school or nursery.
On average, parents spend just £7 more on supplements for themselves, with adult magnesium supplement sales increasing the most at 296 per cent and vitamin D by 231 per cent year-on-year.
However, 63 per cent of parents say it is becoming increasingly expensive to buy vitamins and supplements for their children, while 44 per cent struggle to know which products are genuinely effective.
Clearpay chief executive Rich Bayer said: “While many households continue to contend with rising costs across the board, health is clearly something parents want to continue investing in.
“Vitamins and supplements have become routine in how parents support their children’s health, and this is now a regular expenditure.”
OnePoll surveyed 2,000 UK parents of children under 18 between January 9-14.
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