My son is severely allergic to dairy. Is it okay to give TUMS as a calcium supplement? He is almost 3 years old.

In my opinion, I suggest relying on food first, supplements second. Children ages 1 to 10 years need 800 mg of calcium per day. (Per the TUMS nutrition facts, 2 tablets provide 400 mg of calcium). Luckily, there are non-dairy sources of calcium. Some of those are:

• Canned fish with bones - 3 ounces provide about 250 mg calcium
• 1 egg provides about 30 mg calcium
• Tofu with calcium lactate (check the nutrition facts for calcium lactate) 4 ounces provides around 50-250 mg calcium
• 1 slice of bread provides around 25 mg calcium
• Green leafy vegetables - ½ cup has about 100 mg calcium
• Fruit - ½ cup has about 20 - 40 mg calcium
• Orange juice fortified with calcium - ½ cup has around 160 mg calcium

Keep in mind a toddler's portion size is ¼ to ½ smaller than an adult's, so try to make a variety of calcium rich foods daily. I believe in supplement use only if there is an attempt at meeting the nutritional needs through foods first. If you feel better including a supplement, I suggest a children's calcium supplement. They are available in syrups, chewables, or wafers.

I don't think giving your son TUMS in a safe manner is going to do harm, but the question remains -- what is safe? I called the TUMS customer service number and they recommend that parents thinking of using TUMS as a calcium supplement for a child under the age of 12 should consult with their child's physician. Your next step should be to call your child's physician for their thoughts since they know your child's past medical history.