Vitamin D, breastfeeding & formula

If you search on-line for information about whether your baby needs additional Vitamin D if they are breastfeeding, more than likely you'll find conflicting advice.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,  babies who are breast fed should be given Vitamin D drops starting at a few days of life.  The issue is that many new moms do not have sufficient stores of Vitamin D and it's difficult to expose them to the sun, especially in the northern latitudes.

Vitamin D is essential for building healthy bones.  Many people are surprised to learn that in the first year of life, our babies' bones grow at a rate of 300%. So getting adequate Vitamin D is an important issue.

There is adequate Vitamin D in formula, so formula-fed babies do not need the drops.  Here's what I'm doing.
• Checking Vitamin D levels in patients who haven't been taking their prenatal vitamins.
• Encouraging pregnant women to get out in the sun, with this caution: use sunscreen on the face to prevent the darkening that can arise from the pregnancy hormones getting worse
• Take added Vitamin D 1000 IU/day while breastfeeding
• Check with your baby's pediatrician