Vitamin drops?

[Katsma]

Does anyone use them for their DCs?

I've heard my HVs say on many occasions that they're not necessary if the child is eating a varied diet.

But have just been on nhs healthystart website which says that they're recommended for children from 6mo if breastfed, to be taken til 5yrs

Another site (Telegraph article) suggests that vitamin drops can prevent autism. Cites lack of vit D obtained from sunlight in higher latitudes.

Slightly worried because 11mo DD has started messing around with her food a lot. I give her quite a good varied diet, but she doesn't eat much in terms of quantity iyswim.

Any thoughts?

[moondog]

Waste of time.
How many Western kids are malnourished? Seriously?
Spend the cash on wine for you.

[Katsma]

But moondog, that's what the sites are saying - that kids in the west have vit D deficiency (I think 1 in 2 kids was quoted).

And that autism is much more prevalent in the west. And that it's increased since the free cod liver oil for babies was phased out.

[Katsma]

Oh, and that every other developed country - US, Scandinavia, etc - have free vit D for this reason.

Apparently, rickets due to lack of vit D is on the rise in the UK.

[terramum]

If you go out every day for a minimum of 10 minutes then you & your baby will be able to make enough vitamin D. Drops are only needed for bf babies when they don't get enough sunlight and where both mum & baby have dark skin and where mum is deficient in vitamin D...which is unlikely if she is going out regularly.

If you are in the UK & go out every day then tbh it is unlikely that you or your baby will have a vitamin D deficiency. The government guidelines are usually aimed at those who are at risk & like everything else they advise on they tend to pitch it for everyone so they 'catch' all the at risk groups

This page on the kellymom site explains this issue really well with references to studies etc:
www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d.html

[Katsma]

Thanks terramum, that's a really useful post and link.