Parents of 120 children attending child health clinics answered a questionnaire on their understanding of vitamins. Fifty four children (45%) were taking vitamins; 12 (22%) were given the wrong dose. Only 19 parents (35%) knew when to stop supplements and 25 (46%) did not realise overdosage was potentially harmful. Only six children (11%) were receiving professional supervision. This indicates a need to improve parental understanding and professional supervision.