Today, mothers are doing everything they can to make sure their baby is getting the proper nutrition. Recently research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the majority of American babies are not receiving the amount of vitamin D that is necessary for their growth.
According to Health.com, nine out of 10 babies that are breast-fed receive less vitamin D than what experts strongly suggest. Formula-fed babies receive less than 37 percent of recommended amount of vitamin D. Breastmilk provides an immense amount of nutrients for your new baby but unfortunately, vitamin D is not prominent in this liquid. Research makes it obvious that most babies will need a supplement of vitamin D regardless if they are breast-fed or formula-fed.
Vitamin D, aka the ’sunshine vitamin’, is essential for all human beings; the body produces this vitamin when exposed to sunlight which in turn creates healthy bones, a strong immune system and helps in other ways as well. Children or adults who don’t get enough vitamin D can be at risk for soft bones or heart disease. Just 10-15 minutes of sun exposure will provide a day’s worth of vitamin D, but doctors do not recommend that new mothers expose babies younger than six months old to much sunlight…and sunscreen is always a must.
“We have to educate moms and the health-care community that vitamin D supplementation is something that they should do [and] recommend,” says the lead author of the study, Cria Perrine, PhD, of the CDC’s division of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity.
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