Daily requirement/maximum limit of D3 for toddlers

[SilverMoon010]

Hi!

My son is 2 years old and I want to make sure he will be getting adequate D3 in the wintertime months just to keep him really healthy with a super strong immune system. He's going to be taking a multivitamin that has 400 iu of Vitamin D3 in it, but is that enough for those times when he is not getting adequate sun? I certainly don't want to give him more than the recommended dose for his age, but I do want to make sure he is getting enough and thought if 400 iu was not enough, I could give him an additional D3 supplement on top of that.

I can't seem to find a reputable site with this info and was hoping you guys knew of a good link with this info. TIA!

[karen1968]

My son gets a 1000iu D3 drop 4 or 5 times a week (It's a carlson - they make a Baby Drop that is 400iu, and an adult one that is 1000 iu). He's 3.5 now, and we started this last year after he was tested and came up deficient (his test came back at 25, minimum is 30, and optimal is 50-75). I came back borderline deficient as well, and we both have dental problems that I think are caused at least in part to Vit D deficiency.

[sbgrace]

The general rule of thumb is 1000 IU per 25 pounds to maintain current D levels. Ideally you find his level and dose based on that. If he's normal you do maintenance and if not you get him normal and then drop to maintenance. Generally, 2000 IU per day or less is safe for kids over age one. That's the Upper Tolerable (safe) Level for that age group.

Vitamin D council is a good source of information and the Pauling Institute is the source of the Upper Tolerable Information and also has solid and research based vitamin D information in general.