Q+A: Is My Breastfed Baby Vitamin D Deficient?

Q. I've breastfed my baby since birth. Will this cause him to be deficient in vitamin D?

A. Human milk doesn't contain much vitamin D. Besides hurting calcium absorption and thus bone development, a deficiency can also cause irritability, slow growth, and delayed motor-skill development, says Laura Jana, MD, coauthor of Heading Home with Your Newborn. Babies are born with stores of D, which diminish over time. So if you're breastfeeding, give your baby liquid supplements of 400 IU per day, starting after birth and continuing until adolescence. (Babies on formula don't need supplements until they're getting less than 32 ounces of formula daily.)

Originally published in the December 2008 issue of American Baby magazine.

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