Vitamin Supplements - do breastfed babies need them ?

[Katty68]

I have read in several different sources (incl. Dept. of Health info.) that exclusively BF babies need to be given vitamins A, C & D as well as iron from 6 months onwards as breastmilk will no longer provide adequate levels of these past 6 months. In Canada and USA exclusively BF babies are given vitamin D from around 2 months on. I have a DS coming up to 6 months who has been exclusively BF. I wish to put him on solids at 6 months. I asked my GP about vitamin drops and she shrugged her shoulders and said "no one has ever asked me that question before" - which is not very helpful really. Does anyone supplement their BF baby ? If so, where do I get the vitamin drops ? Can I get a prescription from my GP ?

Never bothered with either kids.I believe the iron etc from breastmilk is far more easily absorbed anyway.

Never even thought to give vitamins.

In general vitamin tablets aren't as good as vits in food anyway. At 6 months they'll be on solids, and fresh fruit and veg contain A & C anyway, vit D comes from sunlight.

Actually when dd was 6 months, the doc gave me a prescription for vit D, but I ignored it.

Katty, when my kids were that age (breastfed) I was advised to give them vitamin drops - A, C and D. These were (and still are, I believe) available from my local health clinic at a very reasonable price.

started DD on solids at 6 months .. really no need for vitamin supplementation

My hv advised this for iron so I bought some at the baby clinic (they were very cheap) and then being very sleep deprived I realised they only had a c and d and not iron! So I just made sure he had beef and other iron sources instead

I guess there is no harm in giving vitamin drops, and if u are worried then go for it. I can't believe your GP did not have anything more useful to say!

I was recommended Vitamin D for dd from one month to a year but

• this was in Switzerland where exposure to direct sunlight is variable
• she was a late summer baby so faced a long winter ahead when time outside, hatless, would be really limited
• there appears to be a higher rate of breastfeeding initially and later weaning onto solids so less likelihood of sufficient dietary supplementation
• it did not appear to be added to all formulas here in the same way as in the equivalent UK one.

I would say if you are planning to introduce your baby onto solids at 6 months then you have little to worry about. Many basic weaning cereals are fortified with iron and vitamins anyway. The term "exclusively breastfed" could well refer to infants not being weaned at all until much later.

Many thanks for your quick responses ! I shall have to make an informed choice. I am particurly concerned about vitamin D - as we are now entering deep winter and there is very little sunshine - do not wish DS to become calcium deficient. As for my GP, well she is one of a kind !! Polite woman, but sometimes appears not to have a clue about medicine - which I think defeats the purpose of being a GP ??