Is your child getting enough vitamin D?

D-day…

A study carried out by researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston suggests that 40% of baibes and toddlers aren’t consuming enough vitamin D, and that 12% of them have a vitamin D deficiency are already deficient in vitamin D, with a further 28% at risk for deficiency.

Breastfed babies are at particular risk because human breast milk is low in vitamin D. “These data underscore the fact that breastfed infants should be supplemented with vitamin D,” says study author Dr Catherine Gordon, director of the bone health program at Children's Hospital in Boston. She adds that breastfeeding moms often need vitamin D supplements as well.

Breastfeeding is a known risk factor for low vitamin D levels in babies and many pediatricians recommend vitamin D supplementation for breastfed infants. In older children, low levels can be caused by not drinking enough D-fortified milk, or not being exposed to the sun. Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D (few foods contain it) but keeping young children out of the sun or using sunscreen limits exposure. The vitamin is essential for strong bones because it helps the body absorb calcium – researchers found that children with low levels of D had lower bone density, which could result in long-term problems. D may also boost the immune system.

If you’re breastfeeding, speak to your pediatrician about how you can ensure you take in enough vitamin D and whether your baby should get a supplement. Food sources of D include fortified milk and cereals, oily fish, such as tuna and salmon, and egg yolks – ask about a supplement for your older child if he doesn’t eat plenty of these foods or you live in the northern latitudes and don’t get much sun. 

The study appears in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

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