Many Babies Vitamin D Deficient

As has been mentioned on the blog here before, vitamin D is increasingly shown to be very essential in the health and well-being of both children and adults. A recent article in the journal Pediatrics pointed out that as few as 1 in 5 formula fed infants and 1 in 20 breast-fed infants are getting the required amount of vitamin D (400 International Units daily). What does this mean for your infant? Well, if your baby is formula fed and consuming less than 32 ounces a day (most infants under 6 months do not consume that much), he should receive a vitamin D supplement. Similarly, if your baby takes both breast and bottle, the consumption of forumula will certainly be less than 32 ounces per day, so he should also receive the supplement. Lastly, all breastfed babies should be on a vitamin D supplement starting somewhere between birth and 2 months of age (the opinion varies on this). In terms of supplements, there are several products on the market, including D-vi-sol and Tri-vi-sol which are widely available in drug stores. A newer product which seems promising is called "Ddrops". This is available in stores only in Canada, but can be purchased online. The appealing aspect of this product is that it is only one drop, and the vitamin can be placed directly on the mother's nipple prior to nursing, making administration very simple. Read more about it at : http://www.ddrops.ca/baby-ddrops400ic.php.