To think that majority babies do not need vitamin drops

[Reallytired]

Why should my daughter need vitamin A, C and D supplements? She can get vitamin A and C from food and her skin will manufacture vitamin D.

Unless you are very dark skinned, the baby lives under a Burka AND has a poor diet, I fail to see why vitamin drops are necessary. I also think that telling a mother that her baby needs vitamin drops can undermine breastfeeding.

Are health visitors on commission? It would be interesting know if there is any research that shows that the promotion of vitamin drops makes a difference.

none of my 3 have had or been offered vitamin drops. They are all healthy and lively bundles of trouble.

No, I have never used them either. A balanced diet should provide all of the necessary vitamins

I hope YANBU, my DS has never had them, no doc or HV has ever suggested them. He's a happy, thriving 15month old. I think your HV is BVU to suggest them if your DC is healthy.

huh? Nobody has ever suggested to me to give my children vitamin drops-even when I told the HV that my daughter had wanted to eat nothing but banana sandwiches for a week

i was told to give DD vitamin drops this week

she is 7 months old and breastfed (plus she is eating loads of food)

on that basis, i didn't think they were necessary

DD has been out and about in the fresh air and sunshine this week which should up her Vit D quota

This policy, if it is a policy, really does undermine breastfeeding.

I remember feeling furious that it was suggested routinely and did immediate research to negate the HV's advice which of course i pointed out to her.

It's a conspiracy, of that i am certain.

lol @ "It's a conspiracy, of that i am certain."

I was asked to give daily vitamin drops to counteract rickets. It is a very recent thing afaik.
I didn't use them, think they went in the bin.

I found the hv visit post lovely homebirth quite depressing. But that's probably not all that relevant!

rickets IS on the rise

My mum was told to give them to us as children and to be fair I did find it in the "birth to 5" book you get from the NHS although noone had said anything and so I didn't give them to my son (bit late by the time I'd read it).

Can't read your link Pronoia, I'm sure it is otherwise they wouldn't bother.

It can't be that recent, my dc are 13 and 11.

I totally agree the HV visit is SUCH a downer after a home birth, they turn up with their SMA sponsored notebook and frankly make you feel sub human. Never mind pnd i was nearly self harming by the time our particular brand of weighing machine left.

YANBU generally speaking but there is some good reasoning why you should give vit.D to bf babies during winter months. They'll be fine in spring/summer.
FWIW I didn't give them to dcs and they're fine, but it doesn't seem such a bad idea. AFAIK, there is no side effects from vit.D.
Other vitamin supplements are unnecessary.

Actually there has been a fair bit of research done recently on vitamin D deficiency and it turns out that it's a lot more prevalent than previously thought.

This extract below is from a BMJ article about vitamin D deficiency.

"Rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults are the classic manifestations of profound vitamin D deficiency. In recent years,
however, non-musculoskeletal conditions?including cancer, metabolic syndrome, infectious and autoimmune disorders?have
also been found to be associated with low vitamin D levels.1 The spectrum of these common disorders is of particular concern
because observational studies have demonstrated that vitamin D insufficiency is widespread in many northern regions of the
world, including industrialised countries.2 3 The increasing prevalence of disorders linked to vitamin D deficiency is reflected in
the several hundred children with rickets treated each year in the UK.4 However, these children represent a small proportion of
the individuals with a suboptimal vitamin D status in the UK population."

"Sunscreen with a sun protection factor 15 or more blocks more than 99% of dermal vitamin D synthesis. Strict adherence to
use of sunscreens when outdoors, or the use of a veil, headscarf, or other concealing clothing, places individuals with fair skin
at similar risk of vitamin D deficiency to those with pigmented skin. Elderly and institutionalised individuals are at risk because
of the relatively large amount of time such people spend indoors, as well as a reduced dermal capacity to generate vitamin D.
Numerous case series and some experimental studies highlight the fact that vitamin D deficiency may be present at birth, with
neonatal and infant vitamin D status dependent upon maternal vitamin D status.w5 w6 Multiparity, short spacing between
pregnancies, and non-white maternal skin are major risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.w7 22 Infants exclusively breast fed,
particularly beyond six months of age, are at increased risk because the vitamin D content of breast milk will not meet their
requirements.22 Delayed introduction of solid food, picky eating habits, and poor diet also raise the risk.
The Department of Health recommends daily supplementary vitamin drops containing 400 IU of calciferol for all infants and
preschool children,23 and this view is endorsed by the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology.24 Supplementation is
particularly important for infants in the north of the UK, those with darker skin pigmentation, and fussy eaters.23
Weaning foods frequently contain low quantities of calcium, and nutritional rickets (as a consequence of calcium and not
vitamin D deficiency) has been reported in children with adequate levels of 25-OHD.w8 Such findings reinforce the importance
of focusing on the calcium content of a child?s diet in addition to vitamin D status."

HTH

I know Alouiseg, it was such a difference.

I thought it was recent as wasn't offered them for ds1. Maybe I erased it from my mind.

marshabrady

Lol, probably first child shock syndrome! I'ts a well known phenomenon ;-)

Yep new NHS policy to give breastfed babies Vitamin drops - to counteract rickets like Marsha says.

Apparently cases of rickets on the rise. And although dark skinned people / those who don't go outside much etc are at more risk they have to target everyone...

You can always refuse them if you don't want them.

Sorry i'm totally confussed! Is a newborn BF baby meant to be having vitamin drops????

Here in France the drops are prescribed as standard from birth to 18 months whether you want them or not. Needless to say I've got a cupboard full of unused nopened bottles!

It wasn't mentioned with ds1 (12) or ds2 (2.10) but over zealous, new hv assistant who did dd's 8month check a couple of months ago suggested I should give her vitamin drops. I questioned this (good diet etc) she just said 'well the government says you should'

Interestingly I asked GP about giving ds2 and dd vitamins just after Christmas when they had been unable to shift colds since October, he said there was no need unless a deficiency had been proved.

I've never been offered any for either of mine? Although mil goes on about them from time to time, suggesting me to go and get some from boots but I never did..
they are thriving fine without it although I don't see that it would do any harm if a baby is given them?

Other northern countries recommend Vit D the the whole population amd others to all children and over 65s.

If you live north of Birmingham you do not get enough vit D from the sun in the winter no matter how pale you are and how much time you spend outdoors. The wavelengh of the light isn't right for it.

I've bf all mine and not once have I thought that formula is superior because it has added vitamins.

WHO recommends vitamin drops to all under 5s. Its not a HV conspiracy.

The human race would be extinct. How did our Northern ancesters ever survive. In the past children who got rickets were the children who spent their lives down mines or in dark satanic mills and had nothing but stale bread to eat.

I take the point that children who spend their lives in front of TVs, computers etc might get rickets, but surely it would be better to persuade parents to make their children play outside rather than use vitamin drops.