Vitamin D for a Baby??

It's nothing new.
When I was growing up we all had to have a spoonful of cod liver oil every day because the high levels of vitamin D in cod liver oil have been shown to prevent rickets and other symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.
She's growing and so are her bones and joints.
Vitamin D is good for her bones - why would you not want her to have a nutrient which is good for her?
Vitamin D requirements for infants can't be met by human breast milk alone.
Granted too much of a good thing can be bad - so don't give her too much, - following the dosage of the drops would be the right amount.

Your baby will NOT get it from your breastmilk. It is added to formulas and milk for a reason. Our bodies do make vitamin D when exposed to enough sunlight, but we have become more knowledgeable about the dangers of sunlight exposure, and make sure our children (and baby's) skin is protected one way or another. This means our bodies get fewer chances for adequate sunlight to make the Vitamin D itself.

Since we live in the northern part of North America, we generally do not get enough sunlight to prevent medical disorders. I have MS, which has been linked to low vitamin D levels and living in the northern part of the country which gets less sunlight than the south. I also was intolerant of milk, and avoided it while growing up, which caused more of a deficiency.

This is NOT new. I have 2 children whom I breastfed 10 years ago, and was advised to do the Vitamin D drops then. I still give them both supplements, b/c they are both lactose intolerant and rarely drink milk.

PLEASE talk to a knowledgeable and educated medical professional or nutritionist, if you are really against this. It is so important for your child to have this vitamin. Reconsider-for your child's sake.

She does NOT get enough Vit D from your breastmilk. I've given all three of my daughters 400 IU of liquid Vit D from day 1 and still do - actually, I give my 3 and 5 year olds twice that.

This is not new; it was part of the new baby protocol when I had my daughter 5 years ago. It's important for bone development. Babies who are formula fed do not need the extra drops, but breastfed babies DO.

Totally disagree with some mom's below. It is newer because mostly every person is Vitamin D deficient and going for a walk in the sun isn't going to fix it quickly. It is super important to get Vitamin D and there is tons of new research on it. Your baby should absolutely take those drops. To make yourself feel better, get a blood test to determine if you are in fact deficient. It would be surprising if you're not! At least, if you don't take Vitamin D yourself.

It is true that breastmilk was not "intended" to be the baby's only source of VitD (they have historically gotten the rest from sunlight). Here are a few links with articles and research regarding VitD in the exclusively breastfed infant. I always take what my doc says as a recommendation, then I do my own research on it and make my own decision. I like and trust my doctor, but I believe there are many experts out there that are better versed in breastfeeding than he is.
I also think they often apply one general guideline to all in a group because it is too hard/takes too long to evaluate each individual's need for this or that. It is easier and faster to just tell everyone to take a supplement.

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d.html

http://www.llli.org/nb/nbjulaug04p124.html

You could always ask your doc if "supplementing" with healthy amounts of sunlight would be adequate. VitD is a fat soluble vitamin which means it can be stored in the body for later use, (as opposed to excesses of water soluble vitamins like B and C which get flushed out of the body). So enough sun exposure now can get you through the cold months.
Of course giving her a supplement will certainly not cause her any harm, it is not like you would be giving her some synthetic drug or untested herb, vitamin d is essential to our bodies.

Im sure Im repeating, but babies dont get enough vitamin D from breastmilk. Its not new to me at all, I gave all 3 of my kids Polyvisol while breastfeeding.

When my first was born four years ago, my doc never mentioned vit D even though I was nursing exclusively. Suddenly, with my two month old, I was told to give her a supplement. I think it's just the newest trend. We're outside every day in the sun, I skip the supplements.

Babies who are breastfed do not get enough Vitamin D so we have to supplement. Babies under 6 months old shouldn't be in the sun so she can't get the vitamin that way yet and putting sunscreen on keeps Vitamin D from getting in your body. Nothing unusual about it but not getting enough Vitamin D can become a serious issue so I would give it to her. It's just a vitamin and won't hurt her.

Formula is full of all the nutrients and vitamins and minerals that babies need and are not getting from breastmilk but Vitamin D is a very important vitamin that our bodies just do not have enough of to ensure that our babies are getting enough from us if we are breastfeeding. The vitamin D drops are as simple as blinking. Its one drop a day until you either switch to formula or to whole milk, which are both rich in vitamin D
Good Luck

I too disagree with some of the posts about the mom taking a vitamin D supplement. I asked my ped about it since I was already taking a vitamin D supplement. She said it is not enough because breastmilk wasn't really designed (or evolved) to hold a lot of vitamin D because through the course of human history - babies spent A LOT of time outside in the sun. Babies didn't need Vitamin D through breastmilk because they were usually outside most of the day. Now - we keep our babies inside, covered and slathered with sunscreen. She said even if the mom has enough vitamin D - breastmilk just does not hold a lot of vitamin D. Think of it as evolution not catching up yet with our skin-cancer paranoid ways yet. :) Hope that helps!

I teach an Infancy course and if memory serves, Vitamin D is given when the baby isn't getting enough sun. Of course, here in Chicago, it's been pretty hot but perhaps putting the baby in the sun in an air conditioned room might help this. Of course, I am neither a doctor nor a nurse so if you don't understand something, ask your pediatrician, nurse or pharmacist.

If you increase your vitamin D intake, your baby will get it in your breast milk. You can double check me on that. My doctors always freak about me solely breastfeeding so long because of iron deficiency. I increased my iron (juiced spinach etc.) so it would be in my breast milk. I always double check doctors because they know medication and trauma but not much of anything else, especially nutrition...LOL (kind of joking LOL)

I haven't read your other responses, but new studies have come out recently that show that Vitamin D is extremely important for overall bodily function and health than we've ever previously known. I believe formula supplements vitamin D, but yes, they are now recommending supplements for breastfed babies. I recently had a physical and my vitamin D levels were on the lowest thresh hold of healthy -- and I live in Southern California and am a beach girl and get a lot of sun! My doctor also told me that they now believe that vitamin D is more important than calcium for bone strength.

If you google the subject, I'm sure you'll find all the current info that is out there. Also, choose vitamin D3 instead of D2; D2 is synthetically made and not good for you. BTW, I'm now on 1,000mg a day of D3 since my doctor's recommendation.

most adults are Vd deficient- this being the case- you are unlikely to pass on sufficient amounts to your baby. Up your Vd intake if this is concerning to your doctor- it will pass along through your breast milk.

best wishes-

NPR did a segment about Vitamin D deficiencies almost a year ago and I actually called in to ask the researchers and experts about this issue. I too was concerned about giving my child a supplement if I didn't know if she was deficient. Contrary to what some of the previous posters said, they told me that you're better off taking vitamin d supplements that will then pass through your breast milk. Hence, I ignored my pediatrician and just did supplements myself.

you might want to ask your Dr. for the research that s/he is using to determine that babies needs extra Vit. D.

Then do your own research and decide what is best for your baby!!

My oldest is 4 and my youngest is 2...when both were babies my ped suggested Vitamin D drops only because it is not passed through breastmilk so an infant who is exclusively or mostly breastfed could be deficient in Vitamin D. I'm surprised that your ped didn't explain why they are necessary in an exclusively breastfed infant.

It's not all that new. When I had my kids my doctor never mentioned it. They are 8 and 6. However, I nannied for my friend, whose son just turned 4, and I had to put vitamin drops in his bottle. So, doctors have been recommending this for at least 4 years now. You know, breast milk is supposed to be the perfect food. And it is great for immunities. However, so much is dependent on a mother's diet. Even before the supplement recommendation I had thought about this. I tried to eat well, but realistically my diet was not perfect. Because I had no idea what I might be lacking without taking a blood test or getting my breast milk analyzed in a lab (which is expensive), I gave my kids a very occasional formula bottle (and please, no judgments from others). It just seemed to make logical sense to me since you know exactly what is in formula and formula is 100% nutritionally complete regardless of what I eat. And then lo and behold, 2 years after my son was born, doctors started recommending vitamin D supplements. Who knows what is next...in another 5 years doctors may be recommending some sort of other supplement. If you don't want to do the drops, an occasional formula bottle may be an option. But, I would ask your doctor, because I don't know how much vitamin D is in formula versus the drops they recommend.

I had my vit D levels checked and they were low as well as a number of my coworkers (we all work at a hospital). Every one of us were low. Some extremely low. I was told at the time to take 6000 u Vit D3 while breast feeding to provide what I needed for myself and for my baby. Even people who are out in the sun a lot still may be deficient in Vit D let alone a baby who is not suppose to be in the sun or using sunscreen for the first 6 months (at least this is what my ped told me). I suggest you have your Vit D checked and base your decision on that. Post baby I now take 2000 u daily. They have also suggested that the 400u daily that used to be recommended for children before is not enough anymore. Once your child is on Vit D milk that may be enough plus their diet. I believe formulas are supplemented with it.

Go for a walk with her for 20 minutes a day in the sun. she'll get all the vitamin D she needs.

Are you still taking your pre-natals? My MIL is a stickler about nutrition (mine, but especially my son's). She sells supplements. She is always sending me vitamins and supplements and so-forth. She has NEVER sent me Vitamin D drops. She knows that 1. When I breastfed, I was still taking my pre-natals and 2. That my son is outside at LEAST 20 minutes a day and gets plenty of vitamin D. If she were sending me Vit D supplements, I'd say that it's a need. But if you get your vit D from the sun, you're fine. (IMO)

"Vitamin D deficiency" is a recent medical trend. The latest research is already debunking the theory that a large portion of us are deficient and that giving supplements can cure everything that ails us. If we get only 15 mins of sunlight each day, our bodies manufacture adequate Vit D.

I never gave my breastfed baby supplements. I would want the doctor to give me some clear evidence that this was needed. A simple blood test can detect levels of Vit D. Was that done with your baby?

We went to a traditional ped with my first and she said same thing about giving vitamins and supplements to the baby. With my second we saw a more natural, breastfeeding-friendly family doc who worked with me on my vitamins and supplements and said baby would get what he needed through my breastmilk. Also, I took my daughter off the vitamins pretty quickly as well - both kids are developing beautifully without taking them. I believe that breastfeeding and nature takes care of kids growing up with what they need unless there is a problem.

Vitamin D plays a role in immunity, cancer prevention, bone formation, and lots of other important things that I can'tr remember right now (tired!) Formula is supplemented with plenty of D, breastmilk obviously is not; depends on mom's nutrition, sun habits, and genetics. Dont' be freaked out, but don't obsess over it either. Get your own level checked if you're concerned. As someone mentioned below, cod liver oil used to be the gold standard in keeping kids healthy, in part because of the Vitamin D. Somehow it went out of fashion.