The recommendation that folks wanting to ensure adequate Vitamin D should spend 15 minutes in the sun per day still holds. It’s the huge fear of sun, in my opinion, that is leading to this deficiency, not breastfeeding. 15 minutes of off-peak (before 10am or after 2pm) sun on arms and face is not going to cause a burn even on a baby (my children–and myself, honestly–are extremely fair and we live at elevation where the sun is intense, so I think we’re a pretty good proof of my theory here).

Now, if a parent knows they have Vit D deficiency (there can be some causes besides not getting enough sun) or if there are any indications of a deficiency in a child, they should absolutely talk to their doctor and consider the supplements, but my objection is to telling folks across the board that breastfed babies need a supplement. This clearly implies that breastmilk is deficient in some way and of course you can bet formula companies are waiting in the wings to tout the Vitamin D in their formula…

I do not favor jumping to supplements just beacuse the baby is exclusively breastfed.

The data seems real though. How do you advice parents to assess the risk specific to their baby and take corrective action if needed? I think assuming that “our species evolved producing milk that is perfect for our offsprings” is not enough to feel confident. Our lifestyle and eating habits are very different today, and I think parents should make an informed decision and not assume that things would be ok just because.

As for the Vitamin D deficiency debate, the AAP is recommending vitamin D supplements for breastfed babies. I think this flies in the face of reason (i.e. our species evolved producing milk that is nutritionally perfect for our offspring!) and may mislead mothers into believing that vitamin D enriched formula is therefore better for their babies than breastmilk.

The truth is that Vitamin D deficiency happens when a human (adult, child, or infant) does not have enough exposure to sunlight, because it is a vitamin created by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

I would propose that it is a misplaced fear of exposure to sunlight–and not a deficiency in breastmilk–that is causing deficiency in parents and their babies.

I recently read that breastfed babies are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Do you know if that is true? What are some of the recommendations for breastfed babies to ensure adequate vitamin D intake?

Thanks

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