Vitamin D deficiency in 18 month old

[LabradorMama]

DS was diagnosed with suspected vit D deficiency at the end of last year. Symptoms (weirdly) were flared ribs and oddly shaped head. I took him to the GP ref his ribs, I'd already had his head treated by cranial osteopathy as we'd thought it had been due to his difficult birth.

Blood tests were ordered to confirm and we were given Dalivit for him daily. We had to postpone the blood tests due to recurrent chest infections and bronchitis so he only had them done earlier this month. We got the results yesterday and he is very low on vitamin D - less than half what the levels should be (despite being on the supplement for 4m - lord knows what his levels were before that) He is on the verge of rickets and is also developmentally delayed by a few months.

I'm devastated as I've gone to great lengths to give him the best diet possible. Everything is home made, I'm vigilant about sugar and he has a really varied diet. He's been on cows milk since 13m (at HV advice) but we've now been told to put him on toddler formula for the added vit D. Usual advice re lots of sun etc too.

Just wondering if anyone else has a child with vit D deficiency and how you are treating it? Any advice re food etc? I've consulted Dr Google but real life examples would be most welcome and hopefully reassuring.

I'm feeling pretty crap and think I must have caused this as I couldn't take prenatal vitamin supplements due to having hyperemesis gravidarum.

I didnt take the vitamins either and if i tried i just threw them up anyway dont blame ypursrlf apparently there is a rise because we are slathering babies in total sun block no advice really i just caught ypur thread and thought i would reply and not read and run hope they get to the bottom of it oh i was on a training for work and the trainer touched on this letting them out in the sun uncovered for an hour a day helps

The most efficient way of getting vitamin d is the sun. You need to expose your baby to the sun. Let him run round outside in just a nappy or vest obviously avoiding the midday sun when uv levels are highest. What did your GP say and have you been referred to a paediatrician?

You can't get enough vitamin d from diet so it's not that you didn't feed him well.

Vitamin D is made through skin absorbtion isnt it ? So best is letting him out in it as much as possible

I see you are googling about this.

One new thing I learned was that to make vitamin D the skin needs to be exposed to daylight (without sunscreen) when the sun is high in the sky, so here in the northern UK at the moment around the middle of the day (which is 1pm in summertime.) The quick and dirty rule is that your shadow should be no longer than you - always remembering that you can synthesise vit D on cloudy days too.

This goes against the whole avoid the midday sun advice. To check how long you need to be in the sun there are online vit D calculators (I used one from Norway iirc) It's not long in sunny conditions.

Thank you all for your comments and advice

easterlywinds GP referred us to consultant at the hospital, he ordered the blood tests, prescribed Dalivit, recommended formula etc.

We are spending as much time as possible outside and I'm leaving it 30 mins before putting any sunscreen on him. I've always done this though, he was born with the deficiency which is why I am worried about my not taking vitamins in pregnancy.

I've asked nursery to do the same with the sunscreen and get him outside as much as possible, which they are happy to do.

I'll have a look for that vit D calculator, thanks for the tip funnyossity and thank you all again for your help

You can only get enough sun for vit d productin in the UK from April to October, so the sunshine exposure will only be starting to kick in again now.

Advice about midday sun is good and important.

You can get some vit d from diet alone just not enough.

My son tested very low for vit D but we were told by our consultant that all children in UK would test low at least in winter.

Yes and that should be a reason to supplement as they do in Scandinavia.

I would have t that with the levels that low you would be erring on not putting any sunscreen on at all unless absolutely necessary. And if you can afford it I wd be booking a holiday to somewhere sunny. Get your ds' skin exposed to the sun as much as you can. And as much of his skin as possible.

Dd2's currently on medication for very low vitamin D. She's 11 yo, and it came out in a blood test for other stuff. The thing is she does have a good diet, and she does spent time outside-she'd normally be out between 1-1:30 at school and often longer at the weekend. Rarely suncream her and she wears short sleeves and bare legs most of the year.

I expressed my surprise to the GP who said that the current fad is to worry about vitamin D. He also said that most people in the UK are low, it's only when you test for something else you notice it.
She's on huge amounts of vit D suppliment, and I keep chasing her outside.
However there are some other issues that can cause vitamin D to be low-for example Coeliac. The Gp said that if she doesn't go up in the next couple of months to a reasonable level then they'll investigate further. He doesn't think she does have any other issues.