Advice on vitamin d supplements or don't see the need for it

[dex_millie]

My pediatrician has suggested giving DD vit. D supplements (DS never had them and I only did one vit. D test with him and it was good). Any ways I notice there is vit D2(vegan) and D3(animal). The one she said to get was the Carlson D3 but I like to research and now I am confused with what to get. I only plan on giving until summer and then use the sun(which is what I did for DS).

Advice on weather you give your children the supplement or the reason you don't

TIA

[Sayward]

There has been tons of research done on D lately, and doctors are getting bulletins constantly about the importance of D (my godfather is a doctor and he's always forwarding them to me). That probably explains why your doctor is recommending it now and didn't with your first.

The literature on D is pretty clear as far as its importance. I supplement myself, doubled in my pregnancy, and will continue through breast feeding. I'll have my son on D once he's old enough.

You are correct that D3 is animal-derived and D2 is vegan. People will tell you that you need D3 because that's what the body actually uses, but the conversion from D2 to D3 is an easy one. Here is a [research, peer-reviewed] article showing that D2 is as good as D3 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2266966/

So I'd definitely say supplement in the cloudy months, and D2 is fine. Just my opinion. Luck!

[LukesMum]

I give my children Rainbow Light chewable vit D. We live in Germany and its just dark aand yucky in the winter....I give it for extra assurance

[BeanyMama]

We give ours D all year, but I try to be super faithful in the winter months as opposed to summer when I slack a bit. D from the sun is better, of course, but the vitamin insurance helps me sleep better Especially since I've heard reports of tooth problems in under-D'ed veg tots.

We're finishing the Carlson with our littlest, and then plan to switch to D2 with her, like with the older guys.

[pacificbliss]

We don't take them or give them to our kids but we live in Southern CA.

[SundayCrepes]

I live in southern Arizona (can you say skin cancer center of the world?)

My new nurse practitioner wants me to get a Vitamin D level. She says there are lots of people with low Vit. D. The theory is it may have to do with how often we bathe. She says Vit. D production is a process and they're thinking that the frequency of showering alters that process. It'll take a couple weeks for the blood work to come back (once I actually get it drawn.) I'm curious to see what it is and am wondering if I should have my kids tested.

[neptunemama]

If I remember I give my kids 400U of D3. I think it's important for health, but I also think the new hype about Vit. D is just that, hype. We've seen Vit. C, E, etc... hyped as the new cure all for this or that, then it turns out that high doses are actually bad for you, or don't work (lower risk for disease, make you healthier) as the hype predicted.

So I don't think it can hurt to give Vit. D, but I don't think you need to supplement w/high doses. It's still unclear what the optimal blood level should be.

[Raene]

I too read that Vitamin D is as important, if not more important, than C to ward off illness. I have been taking it religiously. I take a vegan D2 (Deva brand) and I take 2 or 3 800 mg tablets per day. My baby gets it through breastfeeding from me, and she hasn't been sick (knock on wood). As for my 6 yr old, I give her a D2 spray (Pure Vegan brand) 2-3 sprays per day. She too has been very healthy all winter.

I will also add that this is the first winter I've taken a D, and it's the first winter I've not been horribly depressed. The winter darkness really affects me normally. D really does help with SAD in the winter months.

[MountainMamaGC]

I take D3. I must admit I am not fully vegetarian when it comes to supplements. I have crohn's and I live in Canada. I want to make sure I am absorbing as much vitamin D as possible with out having to worry about converting it. If I didnt have crohn's I would do D2. We dont have adequete sun here for 9 months of the year. I take like 6000 IU per day. I get my levels checked and I am not overdoing it.

[Koalamom]

I give my almost 3 yr old 2000iu's per day and if there is a sickness going around, I giver her double that. She had 2 small cavities before supplementing with vitamin D and after adding that and several other things, her cavities are healed. So I do think it is important.

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes

My new nurse practitioner wants me to get a Vitamin D level. She says there are lots of people with low Vit. D. The theory is it may have to do with how often we bathe. She says Vit. D production is a process and they're thinking that the frequency of showering alters that process. It'll take a couple weeks for the blood work to come back (once I actually get it drawn.) I'm curious to see what it is and am wondering if I should have my kids tested.

I have never heard this theory, do you have any more info/research on it?

In the winter (we live in New England) DS & I take the Carlson Baby D drops. I don't worry about taking them every day, and some days I take an extra drop or 2. In the summer I don't bother at all unless we've had a stretch of rainy weather & haven't gotten much sun. I do realize the Carlson drops aren't fully vegan (D3) but it was all they had & all I could afford and I worry more about inactive ingredients etc. so overall that one seemed a good choice for us (we've been working on the same bottle for a year now!) although I would like to research D2 vs. D3 more. Anyway... I have heard a lot of research in favor of large doses of D as an immune booster & a theory that lack of vit. D is one of the big reasons illnesses are more prevalent in the winter months when there is less sunlight available. I'm generally not in favor of supplements but D in the winter to me seemed worth it.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy

I have never heard this theory, do you have any more info/research on it?

No. This is all she told me.

[Koalamom]

I recall Dr Mercola has info on bathing and the body absorbing Vit D. I will check it out unless someone else gets to it before I do.

[PikkuMyy]

I live in the Pacific NW so I take D2 in fall, winter, and early spring. Once it stays light longer and I'm outside every day in the sun, I stop taking it.

I take between 1,000-2,000 mg at least 5x a week during the darkest months. I would definitely supplement a child similarly (with appropriate doses).

[MountainMamaGC]

I read on mercola that you need 48 hrs to absorb vit D from the sun. Soap will wash the vitamin d right off your skin. If you only use soap on the dirty parts of your body but leave the rest alone like your arms for example then you should retain the vit d in your skin.

[claddaghmom]

I am taking d3 myself b/c I get borderline symptoms of SAD during the winter. I think I've got several health-connected issues that I'm just now working through and TBH taking a d3 supplement is just the most basic thing I can deal with right now.

I would not supplement an exclusively nursing baby unless I had blood drawn proving deficiency.

I'm not sure I like the idea of routinely supplementing babies and children. It seems you are starting from scratch with them and it would be easier to make sure they have a healthy lifestyle and diet. Hypocritical I suppose? But for example I think my kids would spend much more time outside in the sun and eating veggies than I would.