Thinking about supplements for “speech delay”?

From time to time, products are marketed online claiming to improve children’s speech or language. At present, there is no peer-reviewed clinical evidence that dietary supplements treat speech or language disorders. In Aotearoa New Zealand, dietary supplements cannot be advertised for therapeutic purposes such as “treating speech delay.” If you have concerns about your child’s communication, please talk with a registered speech-language therapist or your usual health provider about evidence-based options.

If you see potentially misleading advertising, you can report it to the Advertising Standards Authority and the Commerce Commission.

NZSTA will continue to promote safe, evidence-based care and will update advice if good-quality evidence emerges.