Vitamin D for Babies
The first year of a baby’s life is the most significant in terms of growth and development. Hence the importance of ensuring that there are no dietary deficiencies that may impair normal health and development.
Vitamin D, considered one of the essential vitamins for our body, plays several key functions:
- Helps in calcium regulation and absorption from the intestine and in building bones.
- Essential for normal development and function of multiple systems and organs, such as the the brain, heart, immune system, and more.
Vitamin D deficiency may impair the bone strength and cause increased risk of fractures in children as well as risk of osteomalacia.
Sources of vitamin D
The human body receives vitamin D in three ways:
-
Exposure to the sun -
Consumption of food rich in vitamin D -
Dietary supplements
Babies and vitamin D
In the baby’s first year of life, the natural sources of vitamin D are less effective for two reasons:
- The baby's skin is sensitive to radiation, and it is therefore recommended to limit the exposure to sunlight.
- A baby’s diet in the first year of life largely does not contain the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
For these reasons, many babies are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. The recommendation is to administer a vitamin D supplement daily from birth to the age of one year. From the age of one year, it is important to ensure that children receive vitamin D through food.
Method of consumption
There are two forms of vitamin D supplements in the market – vitamin D2 and vitamin D3, but since vitamin D3 is a more active version of Vitamin D, it is more strongly recommended for infants. The sweeping recommendation in Israel is to give all infants vitamin D drops at a uniform dosage of 400 IU per day, immediately after birth and until the age of one year. The recommended dosage is the same for premature infants, nursing infants and babies who are fed baby formula.
Important
Important
The concentration of Vitamin D supplement vary between different preparations of different companies. To ensure the administration of the required dosage, consult the pharmacy staff, medical staff at the maternity clinic or the staff at the Family Health Center.
Excessive intake of vitamin D
Regularly administering the recommended daily dose of vitamin D of 400 IU will eliminate the concern of excessive intake and poisoning. To prevent vitamin D excessive intake, the vitamin D drops should be poured onto a teaspoon and the baby should be fed directly from the teaspoon. If you forget to give the daily dose or if some of the daily dose drips outside the baby’s mouth, do not supplement the dose.