Four Reasons Why Your Baby Might Need Baby Multi Vitamins

Whether you have a baby who is exclusively breastfeeding or a toddler who is refusing to eat green food, it can be confusing and downright worrisome for a parent who is concerned about ensuring their child’s nutrition. Even moms and dads who are lucky enough to have tots who eat what’s in front of them wonder if they should be also providing baby multi vitamins.

There are many differing opinions when it comes to baby multi vitamins. And, even the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t take an official stand on the subject. Thus, it’s always a good idea to start with your child’s pediatrician to find out if multi vitamins for babies are something you should be incorporating into your child’s diet or not.

What is agreed upon is that there are clear nutritional situations that do warrant supplementing with baby multi vitamins. The following are some of the most common of these:

Your Baby Is Breastfed Exclusively
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants have a minimum intake of 200 IU of vitamin D per day. Babies who are exclusively breastfed are getting a host of nutrients from their mothers’ milk. However, they are not getting ample enough amounts of vitamin D which is commonly found in infant formula. Vitamin D is also produced by the body when the skin is exposed to the sun, but babies are typically kept out of the sun to protect them from potential sun damage. To ensure that a baby is getting enough vitamin D to support healthy bone growth is to provide a daily baby multi vitamin.

You’re Breastfeeding and You Are a Vegan
Babies get a wide range of vitamins from their mothers including vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids. These nutrients are often lacking in vegans, and thus, their babies are also at risk of having certain nutritional deficiencies. If you follow a vegan diet and are pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s wise to tell your baby’s pediatrician to determine if there is a need to supplement with baby multi vitamins. Often, a liquid drop multi vitamin can bridge that nutritional gap.

Your Baby Won’t Eat Iron-Rich Foods
While there is iron in breast milk, the level of it drops significantly after six months of breastfeeding. At this point, most babies are beginning to eat solid foods include iron-fortified cereals and legumes. For premature babies and those who can’t or don’t want to eat iron-rich foods, iron supplementation is sometimes required. A simple blood test can determine if your baby is iron deficient.

Your Baby Is Crying Excessively
A recent study from the Public Health Service in the Netherlands has shown a link between babies of mothers whose blood contained low levels of vitamin B12 and prolonged episodes of crying in their babies. Some experts now believe that the lack of B12 in babies causes the sleep hormone melatonin to not be released fully resulting in longer bouts of crying. Thus, a baby multivitamin formula that contains the daily requirement of B12 may help make up for a deficiency that might be linked with sleeplessness and crying.

Can Multi Vitamins For Babies Help Prevent RSV?

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a highly contagious viral infection that often spreads during the winter months. The majority of children will have been exposed to the virus by the age of two. Symptoms include fever, nasal congestion, and nasal discharge.

While most children suffer only mild symptoms of the virus, others get complications that lead to wheezing, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. Premature infants are at a high risk of acquiring dangerous secondary infections. While there is currently no vaccine to prevent RSV, there are ways to minimize the risk. Many believe that multi vitamins for babies can potentially help reduce the risk of this highly contagious virus.

Besides baby multi vitamins, some common sense preventative measures can help, too. These include frequent hand washing and not sharing items such as cups, glasses, and utensils with individuals who have RSV. Because the virus spreads quickly in environments such as day care centers and schools, excluding children with respiratory illnesses from these locations can help minimize the spread of RSV and other viruses.

Why Multi Vitamins for Babies Can Help
Vitamin C, D, and E commonly found in baby multi vitamin formulas can help bridge any nutritional gaps in a baby’s diet. While breast milk or formula offer substantial nutrients, they don’t always provide sufficient nutrients for a growing baby – particularly one who is partially relying on solid food for calories. A well balanced formula of multi vitamins for babies can help boost the immune response which could reduce the risk of acquiring RSV and other viruses.

Of course, it’s a good idea to speak to your baby’s pediatrician before introducing any multi vitamin into his or her diet. With the right information and taking some preventative measures, you can minimize your baby’s chance of catching RSV and developing complications of it.