Vitamin D

Khannie

So if you're not aware of it, Vitamin D is found in very low concentrations in your diet. The main source of it is by the body making its own when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Of course there isn't a lot of sunlight in Ireland during the winter months and if you have dark skin your requirement for time spent in sunshine is much higher. I'm not getting enough direct sunlight during the winter months so I'm supplementing. What I was trying to find out was how much I should be taking.

What has this got to do with parenting? Well I came across an American Association of Paediatrics document.

It says a number of things, but the things that stuck out most for me were:

(highlighting my own)

the following recommendation is made: A supplement of 400 IU/day of vitamin D should begin within the first few days of life and continue throughout childhood. Any breastfeeding infant, regardless of whether he or she is being supplemented with formula, should be supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D, because it is unlikely that a breastfed infant would consume 1 L (ϳ1 qt) of formula per day, the amount that would supply 400IU of vitamin D

and this....

It is now recommended that all infants and children,
including adolescents, have a minimum daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D
beginning soon after birth. The current recommendation replaces the previous recommendation of a minimum daily intake of 200 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation beginning in the first 2 months after birth and continuing through adolescence. These revised guidelines for vitamin D intake for healthy infants, children, and adolescents are based on evidence from new clinical trials and the historical precedence of safely giving 400 IU of vitamin D per day in the pediatric and adolescent population. New evidence supports a potential role for vitamin D in maintaining innate immunity and preventing diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

I was a bit shocked at that. Supplementing a new baby sounded a bit mental to me. The idea is that young children shouldn't be exposed to sunlight because of cancer risks and this means that if you follow that guideline and they're being breastfed then they're unlikely to be getting enough vitamin D.

I checked the aptamil box that we have. Your child would need to consume around 800ml to get the recommended 400IU (10 microgrammes). I'm guessing other formula is the same so that's cause for some comfort.

Further reading and it seems the FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland) recommends 200IU minimum a day and concludes that:

We conclude that all infants aged 0-12 months living in Ireland would benefit from vitamin D supplementation

link.

So there you have it. I'm gonna start giving drops to our newborn and supplements to the other kids. I'm going with the 400IU that the American Paediatric Association recommends. Just thought you might all be interested.

January

Clueless Mammy alert here but isn't there another vitamin that is needed to help absorb the Vitamin D or is it that Vitamin D is needed to absorb another vitamin?

beachbabe

we were told about this at our antenatal class, and have been supplementing himself from day 1.

Sleepy

Dumb question here: what's vitamin D's purpose?

Are there other supplements a baby should be taking?

CrazyRabbit

Sleepy wrote: »

Dumb question here: what's vitamin D's purpose?

Are there other supplements a baby should be taking?

It helps the body absorb calcium into the blood which then helps keep bones strong, healthy and growing properly.

A severe lack of vitamin D can cause rickets.

January

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

It helps the body absorb calcium into the blood which then helps keep bones strong, healthy and growing properly.

A severe lack of vitamin D can cause rickets.

AHA! Thank you for answering my question

Khannie

beachbabe wrote: »

we were told about this at our antenatal class, and have been supplementing himself from day 1.

Mad! I'd never heard anything until now. How are you supplementing and where did you get it?

silverharp

we give ours fish oils which have Vitamin D, a good all round solution

charlieroot

Just by chance I know in the Coombe they recommend the following:

• [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Ireland: [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]No isolated vitamin D supplement available for infants[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Only Abidec [/FONT][FONT=Arial,sans-serif](multivitamin containing [/FONT][FONT=Arial,sans-serif]vitamin A[/FONT][FONT=Arial,sans-serif], vitamin D, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, vitamin C and niacinamide)[/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Made with peanut oil[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Food Safety Authority Ireland currently recommends:[/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Abidec 0.3 ml per day if exclusive breast feeding or taking < 500ml infant formula per 24 hours[/FONT]
    • [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]If taking > 500 ml formula, risk excessive amount vitamin A (and formula has enough vitamin D), therefore Abidec not recommended[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial,sans-serif]Rotunda: concern regarding peanut oil in Abidec, not currently recommended[/FONT]

beachbabe

got viv d drops in boots. 2 drops a day, colourless and tasteless.

Khannie

beachbabe wrote: »

got viv d drops in boots. 2 drops a day, colourless and tasteless.

Nice one. Cheers. Gonna pick up some of these on the way home.

charlieroot wrote: »

No isolated vitamin D supplement available for infants

I'm a bit confused by this. It's not true - there definitely are isolated vitamin D supplements available for infants. The AAP document I linked suggests not using multivitamins to achieve the 400IU (10ug) a day to avoid excess vitamin A.

ebmma

I'm confused. Why is it not ok to take walks outside during the day to make your own vitamin D?
You don't have to live in Spain for this to work.

hairyfairy00

I have been giving vitamin D to my daughter since January, took a while to find it though. I asked about the drops in 2 Evergreen stores and was told they never heard of them and (despite what i've read) that babies shouldn't need vitamin D supplements!
I eventually found it in a local chemist, it's called Baby VitD3 and cost €9.95.

Das Kitty

hairyfairy00 wrote: »

I have been giving vitamin D to my daughter since January, took a while to find it though. I asked about the drops in 2 Evergreen stores and was told they never heard of them and (despite what i've read) that babies shouldn't need vitamin D supplements!
I eventually found it in a local chemist, it's called Baby VitD3 and cost €9.95.

Does that one contain vitamin A as well?

I'm going to ask the PHN about it. My baby is really uber-fair so I don't think he'll have a problem.

hairyfairy00

Das Kitty wrote: »

Does that one contain vitamin A as well?

I'm going to ask the PHN about it. My baby is really uber-fair so I don't think he'll have a problem.

No vitamin A, ingredients are: Miglyol oil and Vitamin D.

Khannie

ebmma wrote: »

I'm confused. Why is it not ok to take walks outside during the day to make your own vitamin D?

This is only my understanding so may not be 100%. As I understand it, when you're as far north as we are you face two problems:

It's very difficult to get enough sunlight during the winter months to reach your required Vitamin D levels.

and

Exposure to UV isn't so great especially at an early age. If you wear sunscreen you wont produce enough vit D.

charlieroot

Khannie wrote: »

I'm a bit confused by this. It's not true - there definitely are isolated vitamin D supplements available for infants. The AAP document I linked suggests not using multivitamins to achieve the 400IU (10ug) a day to avoid excess vitamin A.

I meant not available in Ireland, which to the best of my knowledge they weren't - though hairyfairy00 seems to have gotten his/her hands on them. Where did you get them if you don't mind me asking?

Khannie

Khannie wrote: »

It's very difficult to get enough sunlight during the winter months to reach your required Vitamin D levels.

Yeah, still reading about this so.... I read this:

In the winter, little if any vitamin D can be made in the skin above 37°N latitude

We're at around 51-53 degrees North.

charlieroot wrote: »

I meant not available in Ireland, which to the best of my knowledge they weren't

Yeah, sorry, I meant they were available in Ireland. Maybe they weren't at the time the document was published.

hairyfairy00

charlieroot wrote: »

I meant not available in Ireland, which to the best of my knowledge they weren't - though hairyfairy00 seems to have gotten his/her hands on them. Where did you get them if you don't mind me asking?

I'm a wimmins! I got the drops in Mullin's Pharmacy in Salthill (Galway). They were beside all of the other baby items, id gone in there for something else and just happened to see them.
Never heard that they were not supposed to be available in Ireland, strange really! There was an article in the baby magazine from the Irish Independent a while back about Vitamin D supplements so i assumed it was readily available, it was only when i went looking for it that i found they were like hens teeth

Deliverance

I came across the vitamin D thing about 14yrs ago and found it interesting at the time because it seemed like the only vitamin that was produced by sunlight on the skin.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/sunlight.htm

It seems like fish is a good source but the Irish diet does not have much fish due to the low demand i.e. expense and culture (surprising really since we are an island nation). So a lack of sunlight and diet did and has caused some problems.

As far as I can remember there was a poster / ad campaign on this awhile back as well. It consisted of young peoples pictures with a tag line of a particular bone disease that was an obvious concern. Vaguely as far as I can remember it was about weak bones in older years due to the lack of vitamin d and the appropriate diet. It wasn't v.well done and was short lived i.e. it was only advertised on posters and not on tv and had no recommendations.

Ok I'd love to provide more on this as a proper link but all I have is memory and connections that I have physically seen of the general health issue.

The latest thing that I have found is this: http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/Ireland/Doctors-struggling-to-cope-with-upsurge-in-hip-fractures

The campaign as far as I remember tried to target young folks and parents but didn't really show the long term effects.

Khannie

Abidec have released a vitamin d only product. I got some in boots last night. 8 euro. 5 drops for 200IU. No dropper though so you have to spoon feed it to a child. Our 6 week old took it without any bother off one of the calpol spoons mind you. I tried the 3 year old and she wasn't mad about the aniseed flavour but drank it anyway.