6m old BF baby and Vitamin drops

[talilac]

DD2 is 6m now and still BF. Does anyone know, am I supposed to be giving her vitamin drops, I seem to remember something about this from somewhere??

TIA.

She may be getting low on Vitamin D, though as it is summer (ha!) she can make her own by getting out in the sunlight. I started giving DS ABIDEC drops around that time as he was bf and not keen on weaning.

If you live in a very northern climate, and your baby doesn't get outside much/ is totally covered when they are, and you are deficient in vitamin D yourself (deficient diet and not enough sunlight) then they might need Vit D supplementation - but they only need 10 minutes exposure a day to make all the vit D they can make that day.

Iron levels in breastfed babies is fine at 6 months, as is their ferritin levels which shows their iron stores. This is shown in this research paper.

I have seen the SACN (Something or other Committee on Nutrition I think) report on this, and the NICE guidance which says that the NHS should be making the vitamins available to preg women / infants. Cases of rickets are increasing in some big cities now (went to a conference about it a few months back), and vit D deficiency generally is something that health professionals are becoming more aware of as 'current news', hence the HVs telling you this.

As I understand it, it only becomes important to supplement if you have low vit D yourself (so your baby was born with low vit D), if you are dark skinned (so it's harder for you to make vit D from the northern sunlight), if you never go out in the sunshine, or you bf exclusively past 6 months - no solids, no fortified formula etc.

Just been reading the FSA page here - it says

"Once your baby is over six months, you should start giving them vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D. However, if you are giving your baby infant formula, you don't need to start giving them vitamins until they are having less than 500ml of formula a day. This is because infant formula already contains added vitamins and minerals"

Is this one of those things they say just to be on the safe side when the research doesn't actually support it then?

I asked a similar question a couple of months back. Seems to be a matter for debate. I think the main concern is a lack of vitamin D but this is only really an issue during winter months or if you have darker skin.

Your HV should be able to advise if they are needed.

Theres no need to supplement with A and C, as discussed in this paper.

The Vit D thing is appropriate in some cases. But rather than targeting the people likely to be at risk, some HCPs are recommending them to everyone who is breastfeeding.

Do you know that the Abidec drops contain peanut oil - not mentioned on the side of the box only on the leaflet. BEWARE.

Okay, thats really helpful. Thanks everyone, esp Dibbler for the papers.

No need IMO. I didn't and DS is fine. Sunlight, plenty of milk and food.

It's only at risk groups that require VitD drops. Namely, those never exposed to sunlight (far north of Canada), or those infants being BF by a mum who keeps her body completely covered (mums who wear a burka).

15 minutes of sunlight on hands and face is completely sufficient to give you the VitD you need, even in winter.

Of course, identifying risk groups seems beyond HVs, so they inappropriately recommend Vit drops to all BFing mums.

I have afriend who is a paediatrician, and she is regularly seeing toddlers with rickets, but she says they are exclusively from asian families or, with probing, toddlers who cleary spend the majority of their day in front of the TV

i have been told to give these drops, provided free, by my hv from four weeks unless i give over 18oz of formula. Quite why i would suddenly start giving my bf babe formula she didn't explain and imo they are worried about missing people out if they target people specifically. I remebered about three times mainly 'cause I am so ambivalnt about the need for them and although I know they are not 100% rda i worry about giving too much vit A. Now i know the full facts I shall happily leave them in the drawer.