**5. Conclusions**

It is important for pre-school children to meet their energy and nutrient needs for growth and development. Consuming a healthy diet is important to achieve adequate nutrient intakes. Dietary supplements only need to be considered when individuals are not able to obtain an adequate nutrient status from their diet alone. A large number of healthy Chinese children both in China and in Australia use dietary supplements, which for most may not be medically indicated.

Calcium and zinc are the two most popular dietary supplements in young children in China, while multi-vitamin/minerals and fish oil are the most frequently used in Australian Chinese children. However, the supplements used in China contain relatively low amounts of calcium and the same amount could easily be obtained from milk and other dairy products. For some other nutrients such as zinc, the potential over-nutrient of taking supplements should be of concern. There is also a need to increase the awareness of toxic effects of some herbal products in the public and health care professions.

There are many reports in the literature that suggest that unnecessary use of dietary supplements can lead to problems. Parents should exercise caution when giving their infants or young children dietary supplements and be aware of the potential toxicity of inappropriate use or excessive dosages. Before providing dietary supplements, parents should seek advice from appropriate health professionals. For all infants and young children, wherever possible, it is preferable to achieve nutrient intakes from a varied diet rather than from supplements.

#### **Conflicts of Interest**

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

### **Acknowledgments**

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the mothers who agreed to be interviewed and the support of kindergarten teachers in Chengdu and Wuhan. This study was funded by Curtin University. No competing financial interests exist.
