Mumsnet Talk

BBC Breakfast has just run another piece about Vitamin D for babies & young children

If you are breast-feeding you should give your baby Vitamin D drops from birth ( 400 IU per day )

You should take at least 1000 IU per day, for 2 reasons:

- reduces post-natal depression
- improves the Vitamin D in your breast milk

Once they are 6 months old, you can give them 1,000 IU per day

Vitamin D lasts in the body about 20-30 days, so you can give an equivalent large dose once a week.

The upper level for people over 9 years old is 4,000 IU per day

There have been no cases of toxicity under 30,000 IU per day

Vitamin D is important because it:

- modifies over 2,000 genes
- improves muscle strength
- enables the body to absorb calcium
- controls the thyroid

You can see more about this at:

www.vitamindassociation.org/events ( May 17 - Obstetrics )
www.vitamindcouncil.org ( searchable by illness )
www.vitamindwiki.com ( searchable in 50 languages )
www.grassrootshealth.net
www.ucsd.tv ( search for a talk by Dr Carol Wagner )
www.RNOH.nhs.uk

You also need to get the kids out there every day. A recent study showed that even a ten minute walk on the sunny side of the street each day vastly improved vitamin D levels. Don't just rely on the supplements.