EnglishAbout the AAPAAP Press Room > About the AAP > AAP Press Room > Vitamin D Supplementation for Infants Vitamin D Supplementation for Infants Breastfeeding is the ideal form of infant feeding, but supplementation with Vitamin D, starting soon after birth, is recommended because breastfed infants generally do not obtain adequate Vitamin D from other The study, “Adherence to Vitamin D Recommendations Among U.S. Infants,” published in the April issue of Pediatrics (released online March 22), examined data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II conducted from 2005 to 2007. Approximately half of the infants who were breastfed, formula-fed, or mixed fed met the 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation of 200 IU of vitamin D per day, but fewer than one-quarter would have met the current, 2008 AAP recommendation of 400 IU per day. While formula-fed infants receive Vitamin D supplementation from the formula, study authors found that the
amount consumed may not be adequate to meet the 2008 AAP Pediatricians should encourage parents of infants who are either breastfed or consuming less than 1 liter (just under 1 quart, or 33.8 ounces) of infant formula per day to give their infants an oral Vitamin D supplement to meet the current AAP recommendation. The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. Vitamin D & Iron Supplements for Babies: AAP Recommendations Where We Stand: Vitamin D Supplements The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) feels strongly that all children should be kept out of the direct sun as much as possible and wear sunscreen while in the sun to avoid long-term risk of sun exposure, which may contribute to skin cancer. Sunscreen keeps the skin from manufacturing vitamin D.
For that reason, talk to your pediatrician about the need for supplemental vitamin D drops. The current AAP recommendation is that all infants and children should have a minimum intake of 400 IU (International Units) of vitamin D per day beginning soon after birth. If your baby is exclusively or partially breastfed: He or she receive 400 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily, beginning in the first few days of life. Supplementation should continue until he or she is weaned to at least 1 qt (1 L) of whole milk per day. Whole milk should not be used until after 12 months of age.If your baby is on infant formula: All formulas sold in the United States have at least 400 IU/L of vitamin D; so if your baby is drinking at least 32 ounces of formula, vitamin D supplementation is not needed. Where We Stand: Iron Supplements Full-term healthy babies receive enough iron from their mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy to last for the first four months of life. If your baby is breastfed: Human milk contains little iron, so infants who are exclusively breastfed are at increased risk of iron deficiency after four months of age.
The AAP clinical report, Diagnosis and Prevention of Iron Deficiency and Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Infants and Young Children 0 Through 3 Years, recommends giving breastfed infants 1 mg/kg/day of a liquid iron supplement until iron-containing solid foods are introduced at about six months of age. When you add solid foods to your baby's diet, continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months. Check with your child's pediatrician about the duration of iron supplements during the first year. If your baby is partially breastfed: The iron recommendation remains the same as that for fully breastfed babies if more than half of the daily feedings are from human milk and the child is not receiving iron-containing complementary foods.If your baby is on infant formula: It is recommended that you use iron-fortified formula (containing from 4 to 12 mg of iron) from birth through the entire first year of life. Premature babies have fewer iron stores, so they often need additional iron beyond what they receive from breastmilk or formula.
Universal Screening In 2010, the AAP began recommending all babies be screened at 12 months of age for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. See Anemia and Your Child: Parent FAQs for more information. Vitamins for Nursing Moms A regular, well-balanced diet should provide all the vitamins necessary for both nursing mothers and their babies. However, pediatricians recommend that mothers continue taking a daily prenatal vitamin supplement to ensure the proper nutritional balance. See How a Healthy Diet Helps You Breastfeed for more information.If you are on a strict vegetarian diet: You need to take an extra B-complex supplement, since certain B vitamins are available only from meat, poultry, or fish products.If your baby is on infant formula: He or she generally will receive adequate vitamins, because formula has added vitamins. : Vitamin D Deficiency and Rickets Where We Stand: VitaminsTips to Reduce Arsenic in Your Baby's Diet Dietary Supplements for Toddlers Email
While breastfeeding is the recommended method of infant feeding and provides infants with necessary nutrients and immune factors, breast milk alone does not provide infants with an adequate intake of vitamin D. Most breastfed infants are able to synthesize additional vitamin D through routine sunlight exposure. However, published reports of cases of vitamin D deficiency rickets among breastfed infants in the Unitied States caused researchers to take another look at whether all breastfed infants were getting adequate vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency rickets among breastfed infants is rare, but it can occur if an infant does not receive additional vitamin D from a vitamin supplement or from adequate exposure to sunlight. A number of factors decrease the amount of vitamin D a person will synthesize from sunlight. Living at high latitudes (closer to the polar regions), particularly during winter months Air quality conditions: high levels of air pollution Weather conditions: dense cloud covering
The degree to which clothing covers the skin Skin pigmentation: darker skin types A supplement of 400 IU per day of vitamin D is recommended for all breastfed infants. American Academy of Pediatrics, November 2008 Furthermore, there exists a major public health effort to decrease the risk of skin cancer by encouraging people to limit their sunlight exposure (visit: Skin Cancer.) As a result, in April 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published guidelines for vitamin D intake, recommending that all infants have a minimum intake of 200 IU of vitamin D per day, beginning during the first 2 months of life. In November 2008, the AAP published a new statement to replace their 2003 guidelines. The 2008 report recommends a daily intake of vitamin D of 400 IU/day for all infants and children beginning in the first few days of life. Human milk typically contains a vitamin D concentration of 25 IU per liter or less. Therefore, a supplement of 400 IU per day of vitamin D is recommended for all breastfed infants.