What You Need to Know about Infant Vitamin Supplements and Breastfeeding

More and more new moms are choosing to breastfeed their babies because of the growing list of health benefits of breast milk. However, there are unique nutritional needs for infants who are breastfeeding that are important to understand. These include vitamin D supplementation which can be provided through a liquid infant vitamin.

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine began recommending that breastfed babies (ages newborn to 12 months) receive IU of vitamin D. This recommendation was made because studies were showing that these babies were deficient in this vitamin which is vital for bone development.

A study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association has further concluded that breast-fed babies need a vitamin D infant vitamin supplement.  However, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that only about 10 to 20% of these babies are getting this essential vitamin for infants. Those who are not getting adequate amounts of vitamin D either through an infant vitamin or through fortified formula are at a higher risk of getting rickets, a disorder which can lead to softening and weakening of the bones.

The human body has the ability to produce vitamin D when skin is exposed to the sun. Yet, babies who are typically kept out of direct sunlight are not getting enough exposure to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D. The alternative is an infant vitamin supplement that contains vitamin D. Back in the 1920s, this was given to children in the way of cod liver oil. Now, flavorful liquid drops provide the vitamin for infants safely.

Rickets has become increasingly common over the last two decades as more babies are breastfed and as parents are more diligent about keeping them out of the sun. However, more and more pediatricians and childhood health experts who are spreading the word to parents about the need for vitamin D infant vitamin supplementation for their babies.

Rickets can be seen in children from ages six to 24 months and can include an array of symptoms including bone pain and tenderness, dental deformities, delayed formation of teeth, decreased muscle tone, muscle cramps, short stature, bowlegs, increased cavities, and progressive weakness.

Replacing calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D is the primary treatment for the condition, as well as positioning or bracing devices to reduce or prevent deformities.