Hyderabad: As the world marks World Health Day on Tuesday with the theme ‘Together For Health. Stand With Science’, doctors are raising concerns over a growing social media trend: ‘mom influencers’ promoting milk/energy mixes and multivitamin gummies as essentials for a child’s growth.When TOI checked these influencers’ posts, it found that such products are being endorsed on multiple social media platforms without any scientific backing.Health experts caution that many of these milk mixes are essentially sugary, ultra-processed powders, while multivitamin supplements are clinical supplements meant only to address specific deficiencies and should be given only when prescribed, preferably in the form of syrups or chewable tablets — not gummies. Gummies, they warn, are associated with a higher risk of dental decay.In line with this year’s call to “stand with science,” experts urged parents to question aggressive health claims online and make informed choices rooted in evidence, not influence.Dr L Swapna, head of department (HOD), Neonatology, Niloufer Hospital, said influencer-driven promotion of milk mixes and gummies was increasingly misleading parents about what children actually need. “Most of these milk mixes, whether labelled with sugar, jaggery, honey or date sugar, are essentially loaded with sweeteners that raise the risk of dental cavities and contribute to early-onset obesity, which is now becoming an epidemic. Even so-called ‘sugar-free’ claims can be deceptive, as these alternatives are simply different forms of sugar with similar health effects. Adding non-sugar sweeteners is also not recommended. Encouraging children to develop a preference for overly sweetened foods at an early age can shape unhealthy lifelong habits and predispose them to dental caries, obesity and related problems,” she explainedDoctors added that gummies are essentially sugary, candy-like supplements that can cause tooth decay and encourage unhealthy eating habits, while offering little beyond what a balanced diet already provides. “Multivitamins should be used only for specific deficiencies on a doctor’s advice. Over reliance can limit dietary variety and create a false sense of adequate nutrition while essential foods are missed. Even those without added sugar or sugar equivalents remain sticky and harmful to teeth. They also pose a choking hazard, especially for small children,” Dr Swapna added.Doctors also pointed out that milk mixes have a ‘misplaced focus on extra protein’. “They say they have doubled the amount of protein. What do they mean by that? If a child is given an egg and a glass of milk, that is sufficient. Moreover, the child will also consume dal and rice, so why extra protein is required? A child’s nutritional needs can be easily met through a balanced diet — milk, egg, dal, rice, nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables. There is no scientific basis for routinely adding processed powders to enhance growth. Claims that such products can increase height are equally misleading, since height is largely determined by genetics, along with overall nutrition, not supplements,” paediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, who has been campaigning against certain drinks being passed off as oral rehydration salts (ORS), said. Doctors emphasised that it is important for children to grow up enjoying natural, home-cooked food rather than relying on processed products. “There is a clear need for stricter regulation of such marketing practices, especially when even some medical professionals are seen endorsing them,” Dr Sivaranjani added.
