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Er From Jay L. Hoecker, M.D. It depends on whether you breast-feed your baby or how much vitamin D-fortified formula or cow’s milk your baby is drinking. Continue giving your baby vitamin D until you wean your baby and he or she drinks 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day of vitamin D-fortified formula or, after age 12 months, whole cow’s milk.
Give your baby 400 international units (IU) of liquid vitamin D a day — starting soon after birth. Continue giving your baby vitamin D until you wean your baby and he or she drinks 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day of vitamin D-fortified formula or, after age 12 months, whole cow’s milk. Continue giving your baby vitamin D until he or she drinks at least 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day.
Since sun exposure — an important source of vitamin D — isn’t recommended for babies, supplements are the best way to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
What Are Vitamin D Drops And Does My Baby Need Them?
A mother’s breast milk is the best source of nutrients for a baby but the amount of vitamin D in breast milk may not be enough which may lead to your baby to have Rickets – a softening and weakening of the bones. Correcting the proper amount of vitamin D will generally solve most Rickets cases.
While sun exposure is an important source of vitamin D, it is not recommended for babies younger than 6 months to be exposed to too much sun.
Vitamin D Drops Usage And Benefits:
If you’re breast-feeding or partially breast-feeding your baby, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests giving your baby 400 international units (IU) of liquid vitamin D a day starting the first few days after birth. Formula generally has vitamin D added in the formula so additional drops would not need to be added as a supplement.
Not all formulas are the same (be sure to check the nutrition facts). As your baby becomes older, your baby can meet the daily vitamin D requirements in their solid foods such as oily fish, eggs and fortified foods. This is especially true during the early years and having formula to drink with the meal can still be beneficial.
When giving your baby liquid vitamin D drops, it is important to remember an excessive dosage is not beneficial to the baby and can be just as harmful as a deficiency. Chewable and gummy vitamins that contain vitamin D are also available for older children. Nutrition;Newborn Pediatrics It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled.
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Vitamin Supplements
Babies who are having more than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day should not be given vitamin supplements. This is because formula is fortified with vitamins A, C and D and other nutrients.
Babies who are being breastfed should be given a daily vitamin D supplement from birth, whether or not you’re taking a supplement containing vitamin D yourself.