Vitamins for breastfed babies

When I took my daughter for her two month checkup, the pediatrician told me that I need to start giving her vitamins...specifically Vitamin D. This is something new for me because I did not start giving my son vitamins until he was much older. I am very hesitant about starting her on a multivitamin so young, what are your thoughts on this?

I've been reading information on the Net about it and it says that breastfed babies lack in Vitamin D only if they are not in the sun very much. With it being winter, we are not out of the house very much and when we are, she is tucked away in my sling or covered in a blanket. I do keep the blinds open at home so there is plenty of sun coming into the house, does that matter?

Should I start the vitamins?

Thanks!

 

If your children are light skinned and they get at least 15 min of UNBLOCKED sublight a week, on their faces and maybe hands, there is no reason to supplement. Dark skinned babies, living in Northern areas, who never leave the house DO need some Vitamin D, but it is not neccesary for healthy light skinned babies who get out at least occasionally. (All my African American and Muslim client's babies get some of this D, because of their skin color and the fact that many Muslim womyn rarely leave the house, and the baby DOES need the amount of light they would get in their country of origin, to get enough D.)

And, no the window doesn't work. It blocks the type of radiation which causes the body to make Vitamin D. (Did you know that "Vit" D is NOT a Vitamin, but a Steroid Hormone, that the body requires, but that it can store?)

 

From La Leche Leage, The Official Press Release on this

Media Releases
​

Sunlight Deficiency, "Vitamin D," and Breastfeeding

Schaumburg, IL (April 17, 2003). Exclusively breastfed healthy, full-term infants from birth to six months who have adequate exposure to sunlight are not at risk for developing vitamin D deficiency or rickets. Rickets occurs because of a deficiency in sunlight exposure, not because of a deficiency in human milk.

“Vitamin D" is a steroid hormone—misclassified as a vitamin in 1922—that is produced in the body upon exposure of the skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation in sunlight. Rickets is the bone-softening disease of childhood caused by inadequate exposure to UVB radiation.

Very few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D. The biologically normal and most common means of obtaining adequate levels of vitamin D for human beings, including infants, is through casual exposure of the skin to sunlight. Because the skin has a large capacity to produce vitamin D, adequate levels can be developed from partial exposure of the body to small amounts of sunlight well before sunburn occurs. According to the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund, small amounts of UVB radiation are beneficial for people and essential in the production of vitamin D. However, excessive sunlight exposure can cause sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Concerns about sunlight deficiency, vitamin D and breastfeeding have been raised by a new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report. The AAP now recommends that all infants have a minimum intake of 200 IU of vitamin D per day beginning during the first two months of life.

Risk factors for developing vitamin D deficiency and rickets include low maternal levels of vitamin D, indoor confinement during the day, living at higher latitudes, living in urban areas with tall buildings and pollution that block sunlight, darker skin pigmentation, use of sunscreen, seasonal variations in UVB radiation, and covering much or all of the body when outside.

“No known risks of ‘vitamin D’ supplementation exist at the level recommended by the AAP. However, no research has actually investigated whether ‘vitamin D’ supplementation during the first six months has any negative consequences for infant health, such as vomiting and aspiration when supplementation is not tolerated, harmful alterations of the infant gut, or increased risk of infection,” said Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, Research Associate in the Publications Department of La Leche League International. Therefore, parents may wish to talk with their healthcare providers about their infant’s risk of vitamin D deficiency and decide whether or not supplementation with this hormone is warranted for their infant.

Parents or healthcare providers who want more information on breastfeeding issues may call La Leche League International (LLLI), the world's recognized authority on breastfeeding, at (847) 519-7730 or visit the LLLI website at www.lalecheleague.org.

Last updated Friday, September 15, 2006 by njb.
Copyright © 2006 by La Leche League International and those posting information. All Rights Reserved.
This site is for your information only. For medical advice consult a health professional. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.

 

My baby girl is actually a little dark skinned, much more than my son. She has some mongolian spots on her back, which i was told is common in dark skinned babies. She is half mexican and half turkish. So, would your recommend that I take her in the sun more rather than supplement?

 

Hmm, she's Latina and Turkish? Yeah, that is a kind of dark baby. She may need a little more sun, or maybe even some Vit D, if you can't get her about double the sun of a light skinned baby. You don't want her cold, OR sunburned. I didn't realize she was dark. You may want to use a SMALL amount of the D, at least until summer, when she can safely and warmly get more sun.

You are in Arizona, though. What is the ambient temperature in your area? If it is warm, she can get about 10 mins (no more) about 3 times a week, with her face and hands uncovered (But do cover her eyes for about half the time. If it is cold where you are, you may want to go with the D.

 

I am in Flagstaff, AZ, so it is quite cold, we are at about 7000 feet, so it is very easy to get sunburned even when it's cold. We have been averaging highs in the 40s.

As for the vitamins, the dr told me to use Tri Vi Sol or Poly Vi Sol. Both have multiple vitamins in them besides the Vit D, so do you think they are safe? I just hate giving her all the extra stuff that is in them.

 

drumin. a mom taking Vit D will not have any more in her milk. Only iron transfers. The rest have to be taken (usually via milk) by the baby. Vit C, in large doses has been seen to cause "Rebound Scurvy" in children whose mamas took a lot of it (we are talking more than a gram a day) in pregnancy and breastfeeding, but most vitamins are in your milk in the amounts that your baby needs, so your diet doesn't effect them.
STAY AWAY from the ViSol type vitamins, Your baby needs NOTHING ELSE Except a little Vit D. They sell this (usually with a prescrption) alone. The other stuff is unneccesary (as ALL the stuff your baby needs is in your milk, and there is even SOME Vit D, in a water soluable form there, but your bodies don't realize you don't live in a sunny area anymore, so your body makes just enough for someone who lives in a sunny area, as that is what their background was.)

DON'T LET THE BABY HAVE ANY SUPPLEMENTAL IRON!!!! This circumvents her ability to get iron out of your milk (by killing off a chemical called Lactoferrin, in your milk) and can actually CAUSE anemia. Healthy babies do not need supplemental iron in any form.

Just get some Vit D. Use it when you remember, If it upsets his tummy, change brands. If your doctor "claims" there is no Vit D alone supplement, he is wrong (ALL my dark skinned client's babies take it, it is easy to get, but you may need a prescription) you need to ask yourself "What else doesn't this doctor know about NORMAL human feeding?" And go from there.

Good luck.

 

Thank you!

 

Maggie, Jimmy has finally started eating and cut back on his nursing. His Ped just told me he needs Iron, since we eat no animal products. I just bought him Similac PolySol with Iron. Should I not give it to him?

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. What ever iron he still gets in your milk, and in his food is fine. Supplemental iron will cause him to not be able to absorb the iron in your milk, and all that extra, unusable iron in his gut is a feeding ground for bacteria.

Just let him eat and nurse the way he wants. Most veggies get better quality of iron than others. Your doctor not only needs to learn more about breastfeeding, he needs to learn more about veg*ans. If you eat NO animal products at all, I mean, you are a complete vegan, you can get him a B 12 supplemnt, but NO iron.

 

Good, I'll stop giving it to him then. He's only been taking it a few days and he's finding it much harder to get his poops out. And I have to pry his mouth open to get him to take them. I tasted it, it's nasty!