breastfeeding - been given vitamin dropss for the baby - with peanut oil in?

[theprecious]

OK Ok so maybe I am being precious (!) but HV just gave me some baby vitamin drops. Does LO need them? And does it matter that it contains peanut oil? Seems crazy after all the peanut hype during pregnancy.

Also she claimed that she'd seen a baby recently with Rickets!!!

[lulumama]

are you in the UK?

i would warrant your breastmilk contains everything your baby needs, and drops are not required

[theprecious]

yes, and am taking a vitamin supplement anyway (and eating healthily).

will throw drops in bin

[MrsBadger]

how old is LO?

I would either place carefully at back of cupboard and forget about them OR place carefully in bin ditto.

Do they have a brand or a product name on them (cause I am nosy)?

[tiktok]

theprecious, there is another thread about this. Your HV is probably following orders. Peanut oil as an ingredient is not an issue if your baby is over six months and there are no allergy issues in your family, but I am surprised the vit drops contain this....are you sure about that?

[MKG]

I'm in the US and the new recommendation is to give vitamin A, C, and D drops to exclusively bfed babies.

My ds is 2 months and I still have to get them.

[Seona1973]

If they are abidec drops then yes they do contain arachis oil (peanut oil):

from ingredients list: The Vitamin A in Abidec Multivitamin Drops is dissolved in arachis oil (peanut oil).

[NotQuiteCockney]

The vitamin D risk (Rickets) is an issue if your baby doesn't get much sun and/or is dark skinned. If they get a few minutes sun per day, vitamin D is fine.

[TootyFrooty]

The ricketts sounds like scaremongering by your HV.

Mind you, have any of us seen much sun lately?

[TheBlonde]

I saw vit drops in boots for babies - they had peanut oil in too

[Piffle]

she is posting on the july07 postnatal group?

Really drops been given out that early seems madness?

[aloha]

The arachis oil in Abidec is not allergenic. The proteins that cause allergies are not present. There is nothing wrong with giving vitamin drops if you want to.

[MKG]

If the UK recommendation is the same as the US than it would be from birth. Most bfing moms I know just threw them out.

[daisyandbabybootoo]

There was a case of rickets recently, but it was an asian child who was living in the shetland isles. It was on radio 4 a few weeks ago, but is an exceptional circumstance rather than the norm.

I wouldn't give my DD vitamin drops.

[Piffle]

interesting article here

[kreamkrackers]

a lot of the baby vitamins contain peanut oil. we had to give dd2 vitamin drops reccomended by the hospital she was in due to her being 11 weeks early. we were told she needed iron and folic acid until she's taking solids and vitamin drops until she's 12 months old and that went for every baby bf or ff.

[kinki]

I heard that there is enough vitamins in a newborn to last him/her until they are 6 months old.

I had ds1 7.5 years ago. When he reached 6 mths, I was given vitamin drops. I was told that ff babies get these vitamins in their formula, but as he was bf, he would need these as a 'top-up' as he had used up all his reserves.

I had ds2 2.5 years ago. The advice had changed by then. I was told that they are no longer recommended because the babies very quickly and efficiently absorb the vitamins (and other nutrients) they need from their early diet, eg even from a few mouthfulls of cereals. The dr, hv and pharmacist all told me giving vitamins drops was unnecessary.

[callmeovercautious]

I thought when I read this in Birth to Five that I was missing something so checked with my HV and ABM locally and they both agreed that an exclusively BF baby who is also eating a balanced diet of solids (after 6 months) should not need them. Both said the book is aimed at the whole commumity and that some ethnic groups with darker skin can occasionally require vit D in our cool climate, but that the book is somewhat outdated.
As a very pale red head they don't think my DD needed them (and I would have been wary of giving them).

[Berrie]

I was given these also (UK) and my older son has a peanut allergy I'm intereseted to see what you said aloha, even if I'd known that, I still wouldn't have wanted to risk it. We didn't use them and dd is very healthy!

[theprecious]

yup is a newborn - 16 days old now. I am glad about the non-allergens in the vits. Hummm, think I will make sure I am having a good diet and leave the vits in the bin.

Thanks for all the advice, I hadn't seen the other thread (should have searched first really I guess).