Do breastfed babies need to take vitamins?

If you’re breastfeeding your baby, you probably assumed that breast milk is the perfect food complete with every vitamin your newborn could need. And while breast milk is the ideal food for newborns, it often lacks sufficient amounts of two crucial nutrients: vitamin D and iron.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for building strong bones, among other things. Because breast milk typically does not contain enough of this vitamin, doctors recommend all breastfed babies get 400 IU of vitamin D a day in the form of a supplement, starting in the first few days of life.

What about getting vitamin D through sunlight instead? While it’s true that people of any age can absorb vitamin D through exposure to the sun’s rays,  tanning isn’t exactly a recommended pastime for infants. So the safest way to ensure your breastfed baby gets his quota of vitamin D is to give him a daily supplement. Alternatively, you can take a supplement containing 6400 IU of vitamin D each day.

Most of the time, the pediatrician will probably suggest an over-the-counter (OTC) liquid vitamin D supplement for your baby. Many of them contain vitamins A and C too, which is fine for your little one to have — adequate vitamin C intake actually improves iron absorption.

Iron

Iron is necessary for healthy blood cells and brain development. Getting enough of this mineral prevents an iron deficiency (a problem for many little kids) and anemia.


Post time: Nov-07-2022