Vitamins for infants?

[Plarka]

My brother gives his 11 week old baby vitamins the doctor prescribed. She doesn't have deficiencies or anything, it sounds like it's just routine. He lives in America and I live in England and I have never heard of such a thing. A supplement to breastmilk? I thought breastmilk had everything a baby needed? Is this something people do in America?

[Ambystoma]

I've heard of people doing this-sometimes for iron I think? I know a lot of formula companies make vitamins. Some people take them for vitamin D if they live in area where it's dark for long periods of time (Northern Canada, Alaska) and they can't get enough sun for vit. D production. Could that be it?

[love4bob]

The ped. actually gave my kids a script for Vitamin D because apparently it is the standard now. I didn't fill it though. I was bfing too!

[Knitting Mama]

Every breast feeding parent where I am is encouraged to give their child Vitamin D drops or multivitamin drops. I refused, and my pediatrician didn't push for it at all, beyond telling me that it's "recommended" (I'm not sure she believes in it either). I can't imagine why it would suddenly be necessary when I'm doing just fine, and I was exclusively breast fed! I take Cecilia outside every day, though she's not in the direct sun for longer than 5 minutes. Surely that's fine for a tiny infant!

[PatioGardener]

My guy is 9 weeks old and I just had a visit from my midwife. She asked if I was giving vitamin D and I said yes, through my breastmilk! I am taking 5000 IU a day and he is getting it from me. We live up north (Canada) so it is difficult to get enough from the sun here - especially as we are light skinned and burn easily so avoid the sun. I may give him drops when he starts solids, but not before.

[Lauren31]

Vit D is not easily absorbed by the baby if you take a ton of it... it does not go into the breastmilk... not sure why, but there are plenty of drops that are pure D and nothing else-- EBF do not multivitamins though!!! I

[linchi]

My 4 moth old (today is his birthday!) got a script for vitamins upon leaving the hospital for vitamins A,D,E, & C that he should get daily and a K that he gets weekly. This script is fillable until our breastfeeding relationship is over.

I say 'should' because I don't always remember to give it daily. If I forget I don't worry as my diet is quite varied and complete and he is EBF.

The K is the only vitamin which isn't transferable through breastmilk I've read and it is a necessary agent for blood clotting.

We are in France and also try to get a healthy dose of sunlight everyday. I figure extra vitamins can't be a bad thing, plus he doesn't seem to mind the syringe and sucks them in himself.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Lauren31

Vit D is not easily absorbed by the baby if you take a ton of it... it does not go into the breastmilk... not sure why, but there are plenty of drops that are pure D and nothing else-- EBF do not multivitamins though!!! I

Would you mind citing your source for this? The studies I have read say the opposite. I don't have the originals at hand right now, but kellymom has a summary: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vi...-d.html#mother

A 2004 study [Hollis & Wagner 2004] determined that supplementing the mother with 2000-4000 IU vitamin D per day safely increased mother's and baby's vitamin D status: the 2000 IU/d dose resulted in a limited improvement, and "A maternal intake of 4000 IU/d could achieve substantial progress toward improving both maternal and neonatal nutritional vitamin D status.

[St. Margaret]

I skipped the vit D with DD as an infant (I took her for walks just in her diaper, in arms, had the window open with sun, etc), but since then so many strong studies have come out about vit D deficiency, and the vit's importance, I'm reconsidering for #2. My friend (the navelgazing midwife) has convinced me it's actually really hard to get enough vit D.

I'm interested in that 2004 study b/c I would prefer to up my own dosage and let that supplement baby than directly dosing baby...

all this is making me really wish my gag reflex would die down (BAD first tri) so I can resume taking my normal high dose of vit D!

[Lauren31]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

Would you mind citing your source for this? The studies I have read say the opposite. I don't have the originals at hand right now, but kellymom has a summary: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vi...-d.html#mother

It's what my doctor told me. He supports breastfeeding too. Sorry, I do not have the sources. The recommendation of 400 IU daily for adults is not based on how much of vitamin D you really need for optimal health. It was based on the amount of vitamin D in one teaspoon of cod liver oil, as that kept children from getting rickets. Personally I think that if you are getting sun daily then your baby should be just fine. I often forget to give her the just D supplement but we live in northern Germany and the winter time is much more important. Personally I think that if you are RELYING on the supplement to boost your levels it probably won't. I believe that a lot of vitamins are just excreted by you without your even properly absorbing them unless they come from natural food/sun sources.

[Asiago]

We live in the U.S.
My son is EBF and is 8 months. Our ped has never recommended any supplements.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Americans love vitamins, the more the better.

I gave DS vitamin D when it was winter and he didn't see the outside for days at a time. I'm not confident that my diet is supplying him with the recommended amount, so it wasn't a big deal to give him a drop of Balsen vit D.

Now that it's been sunny, we spend plenty of time outside so he doesn't get it anymore. I'll probably resume giving them to him in the winter again though.