Vitamin Supplements for babies? (Cross post)

[atmommy]

Hi all! My DS will be 6 months in two weeks.  The ped recommended Vitamin D drops since he is breastfed but I read the label on the drops he gave us and there was added nonsense!  So, we get out into the direct sun for a bit each day.  He also mentioned that at 6 months we should switch him to Poly Vi Sol.  I did this with my older son and he hated them...they stink to high heaven and stain everything in its path!  We are doing baby led weaning with my younger DS so he will be be eating fresh fruits and veggies...no jarred stuff.  Is there a natural infant supplement out there?  In the stores all I see is Poly Vi Sol.  Wondering if there is something else... 

[BubblingBrooks]

All we give is fermented cod liver oil to our baby. Very pleased with the outcome.
www.drrons.com The bottles are $45, but for a very young child will last 1 year.
6 months for older children and adults.

[MommyDOK]

I buy vitamin d drops from vitacost.com .  The brand name is carlsons.  They are very cheap and have no other ingredients besides coconut oil....hence the "drop" part.  I put some on my finger.

When I had my first, I did not know about vit d deficiency and the risks etc.  AND I'm in the sun every day, so I sort of dismissed my doctor when she wanted me to test my vit d levels.  I finally gave in and got tested and my family was ALL horribly low.  I have such huge regrets, but what's done is done.  I knew better for my third.

I find the information at vitamindcouncil.org very interesting and the studies very compelling.  I still test for levels anytime I get a blood draw.  If you plan on testing lead etc when your baby is 1 year, do a vit d test to see if level is over 50.  Dr Cannells recommends straight vit d, nothing else.

[atmommy]

How about an infant multivitamin?  Is this necessary is what I am wondering.  If so, is there something other than Poly Vi Sol?

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by atmommy 

How about an infant multivitamin?  Is this necessary is what I am wondering.  If so, is there something other than Poly Vi Sol?

No, there is really no need for a healthy, full-term baby to be on a multivitamin.  Vitamin D supplementation, perhaps, but Poly-vi-Sol is completely unnecessary.  My son was on it when he was an infant because he was 8 weeks premature, but I was told I could discontinue it after about 3-4 months IIRC.

My second was 6 weeks premature and on an iron supplement, and that was it.

Babies have survived and thrived since the beginning of time, on breastmilk, without a multivitamin made by a formula manufacturer.  :)

[atmommy]

Originally Posted by Bokonon 

No, there is really no need for a healthy, full-term baby to be on a multivitamin.  Vitamin D supplementation, perhaps, but Poly-vi-Sol is completely unnecessary.  My son was on it when he was an infant because he was 8 weeks premature, but I was told I could discontinue it after about 3-4 months IIRC.

My second was 6 weeks premature and on an iron supplement, and that was it.

Babies have survived and thrived since the beginning of time, on breastmilk, without a multivitamin made by a formula manufacturer.  :)

My thoughts exactly but I figured I'd pick the brains of some others :)  I am not opposed to the Vit D supplementation if it is necessary.  It was just a bit "offensive" for lack of a better word, that the ped said my DS needed it simply because he was breastfed.  Does this mean that formula fed babies get enough Vitamin D, when in reality it is a hormone? It just seemed like a blanket recommendation without knowing whether or not me or my baby are deficient.  Again, I have nothing against it.  Just take issue with the blanket recommendations!  Okay, off my soapbox :)

My DS is perfectly healthy, breastfed, etc.  My older DS did the Poly Vi Sol and we stopped after trying for a few weeks because he literally cried when we gave it to him!

[serenbat]

 Does this mean that formula fed babies get enough Vitamin D, when in reality it is a hormone?

maybe not

http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/VitDVieth/Vit%20D%20not%20a%20Hormone%20Vieth.pdf

[MommyDOK]

No, most formula fed babies do not get enough vit d either.  It depends on where you live, exposure to sun, how often you bathe, and your levels of vitamin d.  I do recall one study (I can't remember it off hand, and no time to look it up) that a breastfeeding mom has enough vit d in her milk if she has an adequate level (above 50).  Have you had your level checked? 

My last baby started solids at about 6 months, so he was not exclusively bf so I gave him a drop of 4,000 iu every other day.  when I tested him at one he was a 71.  But we go in the sun a lot and we are very fair as well..  Our part of the country is a latitutude that does not get enough sunlight in the winter, even if I were to walk around naked.  And we take a lot of baths, so I had no problem supplementing...>but i wouldn't necessarily supplement w/out testing.  Tests are very inexpensive for vit d.

If you take a look at vitamindcouncil.org and search under breastfeeding, you will probably find the study I was talking about.  Good luck!

[Piglet68]

There are preparations of vitamin D that do not contain any additives. Whether you should supplement while exclusively breastfeeding depends on your risk factors. Dark skin in a northern lattitude, covering up (religious reasons, eg), family history, etc. Assuming you don't have the risk factors (and living in a northern latitude is not, in and of itself, sufficient reason to supplement) there should be no reason to supplement your baby. He/she will have picked up enough stores from pregnancy to carry through until around 6 months. After that time you could supplement, but for most people getting baby outside regularly without sunscreen (hands and feet and face can all make vit D just fine) is sufficient for baby to make it's own vit D. I think the biggest problems in our society is the overuse of sunscreens, and this weird practice of throwing blankets over baby buckets and stroller whenever baby goes out.