* Income Support, or
* Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance, or
* Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or
* Child tax credit (but not working tax credit unless your family is receiving working tax credit run-on only*) AND an annual family income of £16,040 or less in 2009/10

You also qualify if you are under 18 and pregnant, even if you don’t get any of the above benefits or tax credits. After birth, the baby will continue to qualify provided you meet the criteria listed above.

* To apply for the Healthy Start scheme simply go online and visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk to check how you qualify, or call 0845 607 6823 for more information and an application leaflet.

Healthy Start vitamins

* If you are pregnant or the mother of a baby under one and receiving Healthy Start vouchers, you also qualify for Healthy Start women’s vitamins.  Children over 6 months old and under 4 years old receiving vouchers qualify for the children’s vitamin drops - and children under 6 months can also get them too if a health professional thinks they need them. 

* Ask your health visitor or midwife where you can pick up your free vitamins for you and your children

* Children’s vitamin drops contain vitamins A, C and D

* Women’s vitamin tablets contain folic acid and vitamins D and C


Why Healthy Start vitamin supplements are so important

At certain points in your life you need extra vitamins - like when you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or a growing child.

When you don’t get enough Vitamin D, it’s harder for your body to absorb things it needs like dietary calcium and phosphorous which can lead to bone deformities in children and adults who can suffer from bone pain and tenderness.

There are a rising number of reports of rickets in children (a condition where the bones become weak and soft) and osteomalacia in adults (which causes bone pain and muscle weakness).  In the UK many people may not have enough exposure to sunlight to ensure adequate vitamin D levels.  This is a particular issue for all pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under five years of age, older people and those at risk of inadequate exposure to sunlight inlcuding those confined indoors and those who cover their skin for cultural reasons.


Even if you eat a healthy balanced diet before and during pregnancy, you might not be getting enough of two vital vitamins: Vitamin D and Folic Acid:

* Folic Acid can help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida, where the spine doesn’t form properly, developing in unborn babies. It is very difficult to get enough folate from foods alone so it is important to take folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) in the early stages of pregnancy but also when you are trying to get pregnant.

* Vitamin D helps build strong bones and teeth. However, as sunlight is the main source, it’s hard to get what you and your baby need - especially in winter. Supplements are recommended for all pregnant and breastfeeding women. Pregnant teenagers and women from ethnic minorities are particularly at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Taking extra Vitamin D will make sure both mum and baby are getting enough.

Healthy Start vitamins help ensure pregnant and breastfeeding women get all of the extra nutrients they need.


Even if they are eating well, young children may not get enough vitamin A or D in their diet:

* Vitamin A helps keep our skin healthy, strengthens immunity from infections and helps vision in dim light. In the UK, 8% of children under 5 do not have enough vitamin A in their diet

* Vitamin D helps build strong bones and teeth. A lack of vitamin D in the diet may result in a deficiency which can lead to the development of rickets where bones become weak and soft

Giving your child Healthy Start children’s vitamin drops will help ensure they get the extra help their growing body needs