SmartyPants announces launch of baby multivitamin

SmartyPants announced the launch of Baby Multi & DHA. The baby multivitamin is designed to focus on cognitive development and healthy growth for the first years of life. 

The new launch is an addition to their current line, which offers supplements for all stages of life, from prenatal through 50 plus. 

“As we continue to expand in customizing formulas for particular audiences and covering all age ranges, it was a natural evolution for us but it was a longer development process given the audience. We saw an opportunity to bring something new to the category by doing what SmartyPants does best: developing comprehensive, innovative, science-backed products that solve problems in our consumers' everyday lives,”​ Co-Founder & CEO Courtney Nichols Gould told NutraIngredients-USA.​ 

"We’re excited to expand our product offering to serve life’s most precious stage with our Baby Multi & DHA, a product unlike any other on the market,”​ added Gould. 

Making a splash 

The pediatrician-designed liquid supplement is designed for children 6 - 24 months and contains 13 nutrients, including omega-3 DHA essential fatty acids (from algal oil) for brain and eye health, vitamin D3 for bone health, vitamin C for immunity, and lutein, choline and iodine for cognitive development. 

The baby multi comes with a syringe for precise measuring and can be mixed into baby food or formula.

Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA​, Gould said the liquid delivery format was a challenge. “This was a new format for SmartyPants, so there was a learning curve on producing our new baby multi. Measurement was also a challenge as we knew dosage was something new moms are worrying about- so how do we solve that for parents as well.” ​

Another challenge Gould experienced was finding the right flavor. The baby multi is made with natural fruit flavors like banana, mango and peach, naturally sweetened with monk fruit extract.

“When looking at the competition we learned that they struggled with taste and were rarely creating all-encompassing products. Our biggest challenge was incorporating all the ingredients we set out to include in a robust formula that still tastes good to palates still in development and to the moms who will be tasting them first! Liquid was a new format for us, so it had its own set of challenges.” ​

Closing the gap 

The baby multivitamin has omega-3 DHA and lutein to help fuel growth and development of the brain. 

“We wanted to look for ingredients that would address a current concern for parents that were not being solved for in a comprehensive format currently. As a premium brand with a core commitment to purpose, we promised ourselves we would never make a "me too" product. It has to provide innovation in the bottle. As there was not currently a comprehensive multi supplement on the market that also includes DHA and lutein for brain health and cognitive development, we saw the opportunity to close the gap,”​ Gould told us, adding that there were 

“Plenty of twists in the journey, but we could not be happier with where we ended up.” ​

SmartyPants Baby Multi & DHA will be available on Amazon and at Target and other retailers this April.

Should children take supplements, and if so, which ones?

Should kids take supplements? If so, when, and what are the nutritional gaps parents should be thinking about? Find out at FoodNavigator-USA's 3rd annual FOOD FOR KIDS summit​​ in Chicago this November, where we'll explore topics including:

• The kids’ supplements category: How is it broken down, is it growing, and where are the growth opportunities?
• Are parents looking for dedicated products/brands marketed towards children, or are they giving their kids the same products and brands that they are consuming as adults?
• What formats and flavors work best for kids?
• What branding and messaging works best in the category?