Vitamin D supplement

B

bekyboo44

Registered User
I recently read that breastfed babies need a vitamin d supplement. My son is 3 months old, breastfed and I have never given him a vitamin d suplement- do I need to start?

Thks
 
The Department of Health in Hong Kong do not suggest that breastfeed babies have extra Vitamin D. This is because Hong Kong has huge amounts of sunlight, even in the winter.

You might be interested in the following information from La Leche League International,
Should My Breastfed Baby Be Receiving Vitamin or Fluoride Supplements?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/vitamin.html

?Vitamin D--Exclusively breastfed healthy, full-term infants from birth to six months who have adequate exposure to sunlight are not at risk for developing vitamin D deficiency or rickets. Rickets occurs because of a deficiency in sunlight exposure, not because of a deficiency in human milk.

La Leche League International's THE BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK, 3rd Edition, lists the following risk factors for vitamin D deficiency:
? Dark skin
? Consistent coverage of skin with clothing or sunscreen when outdoors
? Live in areas where there is little sunlight for parts of the year or do not go outdoors
? Live in areas of heavy air pollution, which blocks sunlight
? Mother is vitamin D deficient?

Research suggests that people of colour, especially religious or cultural groups who wear enveloping clothing should expose their babies' uncovered cheeks to sunlight for just 20 minutes a day to get the needed vitamin D. In cases where this is not possible or the mother is not getting adequate vitamin D, doctors may prescribe a vitamin D supplement for the baby. Rickets has rarely been found in fully breastfed infants. This is true even in northern climates where there is less exposure to sunlight, which activates the formation of vitamin D. Research has shown that human milk contains adequate vitamin D for at least the first six months of life.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
even my ex-ped suggested i gave my breastfed baby (at 2 months) vitamin supplements!! he said it's BECAUSE she's exclusively breastfed, that's why she needed supplements!! I threw away the bottle of vitamins when we got home. and this is a VERY reputable & popular chinese ped. tells you about how well educated some peds in hk are about bf babies.

so glad we have LLL!!
 
In our country we always give vitamins D. I don't know where I can get vitamins D. Now I give her the Centrum Junior multivitamins
 
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