A little Vitamin D goes a long way

Vitamin D: It's crticial for a child's development.  It's good for healthy bone development and immune systems.  Vitamin D deficiency can put people at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and more, later in life.   But a new study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that most babies in the U.S. are not getting enough vitamin D regardless of how they are fed.  It's long been known that breastmilk, while the gold standard, doesn't have enough vitamin D.  The study found that about 90% of breastfed babies get less of the vitamin than experts recommend. And while formula is supplemented with vitamin D, the study found that fewer than 37% of formula-fed babies were getting enough.  That, for the researchers, was a surprise.

The fact that millions of babies are not getting enough vitamin D has been substantiated by other studies.  Research suggests that babies do better when moms  take prenatal vitamins in their second and third trimesters

Back in 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommendation for the amount of vitamin D infants and children should get daily to 400 international units.  According to the researchers most children and babies will have to take a vitamin D supplement. Sunshine causes the body to produce vitamin D on its own.  But that comes with inherent risks.  The AAP recommends infants under the age of 6 months, not be exposed to sun very much so a liquid supplement is likely.  And for older infants and children, we're now in the habit---for good reason--of slathering them with sunscreen so it's likely that they, too, will need supplements.  You should discuss all this with your pediatrician of course.