For Vegetables

How dangerous is a Vitamin D deficiancy in a 6 month old baby?

I only just now found out that I needed to be giving my breastfed daughter Vitamin D supplements. In addition to breastmilk she eats one meal of peas, green beans, or sweet potatoes each day. I will start giving her extra Vitamin D right away, but I am so scared that I've harmed her bone development for life since she probably hasn't gotten enough Vitamin D until now. Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do to make up for the last 6 months? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Depending on where you live it is very difficult for people to get a vitamin deficiency. To top your daughter for vitamin D go outside and walk around in the sun for 15 Min's, it is all the vitamin D you need.
2. She will be fine when you start giving her the vitamins. In the winter, our vitamin D production goes down & it goes down in breastfed babies too. My baby, too, was breastfed & at 6 months my Dr. had me start giving him PolyVisol vitamins with iron. It came back that he had an Iron deficiency. You have not harmed your baby. You have done a wonderful thing by breastfeeding. Give your baby the vitamins & be comfortable in the fact that you've given your baby a wonderful start to life. Nothing can ever replace the natural breastmilk you've supplied & will continue to supply until you wean. Also, you can take vitamin supplements.
3. "Is your baby at risk for vitamin D deficiency? First of all, babies rarely need vitamin D supplements. The babies who do need these supplements need them due to a lack of sufficient sunlight. Factors that put your breastfed baby at risk for vitamin D deficiency (rickets) are: Baby has very little exposure to sunlight. For example: if you live in a far northern latitude, if you live in an urban area where tall buildings and pollution block sunlight, if baby is always completely covered and kept out of the sun, if baby is always inside during the day, or if you always apply high-SPF sunscreen. Both mother and baby have darker skin and thus require more sun exposure to generate an adequate amount of vitamin D. Again, this is a "not enough sunlight" issue - the darker your skin pigmentation, the greater the amount of sun exposure needed. There is not much information available on how much more sunlight is needed if you have medium or darker toned skin. See the section below regarding amount of sunlight needed. Mother is deficient in vitamin D - this is rare in western countries. The amount of vitamin D in breastmilk depends upon mom's vitamin D status. If baby gets enough sunlight, mom's deficiency is unlikely to be a problem for baby. However, if baby is not producing enough vitamin D from sunlight exposure, then breastmilk will need to meet a larger percentage of baby's vitamin D needs. If mom has minimal exposure to sunlight (see above examples) and is not consuming enough foods or supplements containing vitamin D, then she may be vitamin D deficient. More below on supplementing mom with vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation is often recommended particularly in Canada and other northern latitudes, since these areas don't receive much sunlight during certain parts of the year. If you live in the far north and don't receive much sunlight, you might consider a vitamin D supplement. However, Dr. Jack Newman, a Canadian pediatrician and breastfeeding expert, indicates that Vitamin D supplements are rarely needed - even in Canada." from the very research-oriented, reliable kellymom: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d.html I live in Canada, I breastfeed, I don't use vitamin D drops. We just go outside... edit: LOLZ re more vitamins in formula. There are literally hundreds of ingredients in breast milk that are not found in formula. But I am going to disagree with Tanya (!!) for once: you get very, very little vitamin D through glass. Go on, forget the drops; get a sling or other soft carrier, and get out of the house. We do daily no matter what the weather (and I'm Canadian, so...) and it's quite nice.
4. Full grown adults have a Vitamin D deficiancy. It is nothing to worry about; just maybe try giving her formula instead of breat feeding since breast milk does not have as many Vitamins as baby formula.
5. Honey, if there was a serious issue about Vitamin D deficiency in breastfed babies then we would have entire generations of people with rickets and poor bone development. This, as far as I am concerned, is just another ploy by Major Corporations, to sell more product. It's not harmful to give the vitamin and if baby or you gets no sunlight at all then it's a good thing but it's gotten way too much hype over the last few years. If you truly needed the supplements before hand they wouldn't have let you leave the hospital without them.
6. caitlin [♥] cinderella: ARE YOU INSANE??? "just maybe try giving her formula instead of breat feeding since breast milk does not have as many Vitamins as baby formula." what planet are you typing from?? seriously, just nurse by a window, even indirect sunlight can be enough.