Vitamin drops for an 8-week old EBF baby???

[MamaMia100]

Just back from our 8-week check up and dr gave me a prescription for Dalivit vitamin drops saying they are now recommended for breast fed babies. Has anyone heard of this before! I thought breastmilk was all they needed, virgin gut and all that. I didn't give my first child vitamin drops until she was on solids, and only then very half heartedly. Is this really something I need to be doing when I eat a balanced (albeit vegetarian) diet and take multivits myself? TIA

[NotQuiteCockney]

I thought vitamin D was the only vitamin a BF baby was likely to need - particularly if she doesn't get much sun (e.g. you live in northern Scotland) and/or if she or you is very dark skinned.

[MadameJ]

My DD (also BF) was prescribed Dalivit but only because she was premature. Never heard of it for a term baby though

[bagelmonkey]

We were given dalavit for DD when she was born but gave up trying to get them into her after a few weeks. She acted as though we were torturing her.
Not sure how much she needed them, but the doctor who advised we gave them was crap and told me it was because she needed extra iron. No iron in dalavit.

[MamaMia100]

Yeah, I was quite surprised! DS is massive (98th centile) and we live in the sunny south and spend most days outdoors (also have a 2-year old). I'm tempted to ignore the advise. Would that be unwise do you think?

[eaglewings]

Go with your gut (sorry no pun intended) feelings

I'd not give them if your diet is good and balanced

[MigGril]

I don't think they are needed in a full term healthy baby. VitD is a possible issue if as OP said your dark skined and don't get much sun but there shouldn't be a need for anything else.

Have a read hear
www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamins.html

[RitaMorgan]

I thought it was for when they are 6 months+? Not that I bothered anyway.

[SpannerPants]

My sister is training to be a paediatric nurse, and she told me 2 weeks ago that the guidance has just changed and all breastfed babies should have vit D drops, apparently there's a lot of rickets around which is why the advice has changed.

(not that I'm giving them to 12week old DS badmummy)

[tiktok]

I have not heard of new guidance for young babies , spannerpants. There is guidance for older babies who are breastfed (not for formula feeders because the vitamins are already added to the formula during the manufacture). There is some evidence that babies of poorly-nourished mothers might require supps, too, when v. young. But a general guidance for all from a few weeks old would be very new.

Can you ask her to check? Vitamin supps for all babies including the young ones?

[RightUpMyRue]

The reccomendation from the DoH is for all babies (6 months+ if breastfed, 1 yr+ for for formula fed) to have vitamin drops. The main reason is for the vit D (they come with the other vits, that's the only for those but they're not going to hurt.) If you and your baby are darker skinned, live in an area of weak sun (i.e most places in the UK!) or haven't had a very good diet during your pregnancy (who is to judge this has been left out of the guidance, however) then it may be a good idea to give them from birth.

Our bodies don't store vitamn D so going out and getting sunshine every day in the summer isn't going to see you through the winter, particularly if you cover yourslf and your baby up and use sun protection as the DoH also reccomends. Vitamin D isn't abundant in food so isn't the easiest of the vits to get.

If you think you get enough vitamin D through your diet and sun exposure then there's no need to give vitamins drops.

[RightUpMyRue]

Here's the HCP leaflet on Vitamin D.

[LittleWaveyLines]

Is Vit D passed on in breastmilk? So if the mother takes vit D supplement, is that sufficient?

[drappel]

We were given Dalivit and Iron supplement bottles when DS was discharged from NICU a week after being born, 5 weeks prem (had trouble stabilising his own blood sugars and also a touch of Jaundice). We fought with him for 4 weeks trying to get them into him, stained many clothes, and then asked the HV for any tips. Why are you giving him them? was the reply, so we stopped. Our diet is very healthy too (have been in regular consultations for over a year with a nutritionist - helped us get pregnant, and she also says they aren't needed).

If you think you are eating all the right stuff yourself (and also some of the wrong stuff that makes you happy) then I wouldn't worry and as already said, follow your gut instinct.