Do you give vitamin D supplements to your breastfed baby?

[joshandjamie]

See this - I breastfed both my children and had never, ever heard of this. Am I the only one in the dark? Have to say, I'm not overly bothered about it. Both children are thriving but I just wondered if this was something all mums know about and I just somehow missed the lesson on this in antenatal classes!

I've never been clear on this so thanks for asking and I'm marking my spot :)

Never heard. Never did.

I had heard of it, but didn't give DD the drops. From what we were told in the hospital, it is darker skinned babies who are more at risk as they need more sunlight to produce enough vitamin D, which is a problem in northern countries and our climate. DD has inherited my chalk pale skin (unfortunately!) so I thought she was less at risk. Plus my husband used to bring her outside for 5-10 minutes when it was overcast during the summer.

Now that she's never outside without being fully wrapped up, maybe I should start giving them to her??

I gave multivitamin drops to my son from 6 months. I figured he wasnt going to get too much and so there was no harm in giving them to him. Also he was rubbish at eating solids.

i don't and won't bother.

Not in the risk categories (ie dark skinned) and we get out every day.

I did until he was 8 mo under doc's advice..

There was a really interesting radio 4 programme on this a few months ago, basically saying that vit d was much more important than we might have previously thought and is involved in all sorts of processes in the body. IIRC the levels of sunlight in UK esp over winter were not enough for babies to synthesise vit d so supplementation is advised.

hm, I read somewhere that they should have it and asked my HV but she didn't know anything about it. I don't currently give him anything but maybe I should? There's not much sun around at the mo!

There is a possiblity that lack of vitiamin D is related to the development of MS (which would be in adulthood).

^ Genetic study shows direct link between vitamin D and MS susceptibility ?gene?
05 Feb 2009

Scientists have found evidence that a direct interaction between vitamin D and a common genetic variant alters the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). ^

here

Having been diagnosed with MS a few years ago I am conscious of this apsect of Vitamim D. There is a boy up here whose mum has MS (in Scotland) who is campaigning for its general use in the same way as folic acid is recommended.

I haven't but by 6 months each time, DBs having formula as well.

My SIL didn't give vit D, and at 15 months her DS broke his leg (they didn't notice him fall, just took him to hospital as he was limping) - he was still BF at 15 months along with solids too of course, but she did BLW and he didn't eat much until 8-9 months and due to cows milk allergy SIL was still breast feeding. Also due to allergy wasn't having any diary or any eggs.

Anyway turned out he was anaemic and vit d deficient, despite him being outside loads, and this happened in the autumn so after a summer of running around in the garden (and not dark skinned either).

Just something to think about. I would give vitamin drops if DS2 wasn't having formula etc

I give my bf DS Abidec vitamin drops after asking on here and Tiktok explained that it's a blanket public health recommendation from 6 months to 5 years as it's very hard to tell whether an individual baby is getting enough vitamin D. (It depends on how much clothing / suncream they wear, how much time spent outdoors, what part of the world you're in and what colour your skin is).

FWIW, DS loves his vitamins and starts bouncing with excitement when he sees me with the syringe. It's the only thing that will persuade him to let go of the Doidy cup after breakfast.

Never heard of this!

Can you just buy vit D over the counter at pharmacy for babies 6 months old?

no we go outside alot, are healthy, eat a good diet. really not convinced DS is going to get rickets.

In Spain I think it's prescribed for all babies until they're 6 months old. I kept forgetting to give my DS his drops, but reckon he got enough with the Spanish climate and his Northern European skin.

I do - in the USA here - docs advise it to all BFing mothers at the 6 week check.
I looked at the research and it said DS would need 20 minutes outside in bright sunlight to get enough vit D for each day (considering only his hands and face are exposed to the light - it's pretty cold here now) and I know that he doesn't get that every week day. So yep - drops.

On the days I remember.

I did from 2 days old and throughout the first year or so BF. We were advised to throughout prenatal care, then at the hospital when DS was born. When DS was 4 days old the lactation consultant came to our home and it was the first thing she asked me to confirm. I am in Canada though. We are fair skinned but don't get out much for natural sunlight in winter.

it's commonplace in France. Bought mine there when I was pregnant (live in Scotland and never come out in daylight).
I only give the drops occasionally to DD in the winter months on the basis that her sun exposure is more than limited.

mjinhiding - mother nature did not necessarily intend to get us sat at a computer all day in a darkened office :)

I gave vitamin D to my DS because of doctor recommendation. I think I stopped not long before he was 1.

Summerhols, yes, you can buy vitamin drops over the counter (I get mine from Wilkos).

mjinhiding, yes - when Tiktok explained it to me, she pointed out that we no longer spend most of our days outside as people would have done in the past.

A quick look on Wikipedia says that UVA levels are high enough to manufacture vitamin D in the spring every day in the tropics, in spring & summer in temperate regions (ie the UK) and almost never in the arctic.

The NHS says babies manufacture it when their skin is exposed to sunlight between April and September.

HTH

I was told about vit D drops in hospital (in Dublin) and they specifically said that even though they didn't use to recommend them (so my older dc's didn't get them) they now know they are very important.

DH pointed out that if it's so important they would be free, like vaccines, not have to be purchased from chemist.

Of course, DD (my 4th dc) is 3 weeks old and I completely forgot about the drops until I saw this thread!

Didn't with my eldest 2 dds, but with my 3rd dd I did. She was born in Holland and it's the norm there! [Eldest 2 dds both perfectly fine btw!]