The lactation consultant, your new mom friends, the latest health news flash you read online — each one probably has a different take on vitamins and babies. So how can you make sense of all that conflicting advice? And, bottom line — does your baby really need a vitamin supplement? Well, the answer depends on whether you're breastfeeding or not.
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.
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Breastfed and partially breastfed babies should take 1 mg/kg oral iron supplements a day starting at 4 months until iron-rich foods (like cereals, meat and green vegetables) can be introduced. But babies need a whopping 11 mg of iron a day, so your doctor may even recommend that your little one continue to take the supplement until he gets the iron he needs from food.
Other considerations
There are a few more caveats to consider when it comes to vitamins and babies. Talk with your pediatrician if these conditions apply to you or your baby:
- Your baby was born premature or has health problems. He may have had less time to build up his iron stores during the third trimester of pregnancy.
- You think your diet is lacking some important vitamins and minerals. For example, if you're vegan, you may not be getting enough vitamin B12, iron, zinc or calcium. All breastfeeding moms should continue to take their prenatal vitamin or another daily multivitamin.
Do formula-fed babies need to take vitamins?
When it comes to vitamins and babies who are on formula, it's a different story. Formula is already fortified with vitamin D, iron and many other nutrients, so as long as your infant is getting about 32 ounces of formula each day, he does not need supplements. For that reason, skip low-iron formulas unless you're directed otherwise by the pediatrician.
Do babies who are both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding need to take vitamins?
If your baby is toggling between nursing and formula, your pediatrician will probably suggest you give him an iron supplement and vitamin D. If he's mostly taking a bottle, he may be getting all of the iron and vitamin D he needs, depending on how much fortified formula he's taking in. If your baby is a double-duty feeder, talk to your pediatrician about whether or not he needs a supplement.
But once he starts solids — especially when he's eating them regularly and drinking less formula — it'll be a whole new nutritional ball game. He'll start to get less of his nutrition from formula and more of his nutrition from foods. If you have a picky eater on your hands, you may want to talk with your pediatrician about continuing with vitamin D and iron supplements (and possibly other vitamins).
Tips for giving babies vitamins
- Space it out. For the biggest nutritional boost, don't mix multivitamins or iron with breast milk, milk-based formula or other milk products. The calcium in milk can hinder the body's ability to absorb the mineral. (It's okay to mix vitamin D into a bottle or give it at a feeding because it won't affect uptake.)
- Help it go down easily. Worried that your little one won't cooperate and swallow his supplement? Most infant vitamin drops are tasty, so your baby may gulp it right down. If he does fight it, talk to the pediatrician about strategies, like trying a different brand or switching to a more concentrated supplement that requires smaller doses.
- Stay safe. Keep supplements — particularly those containing iron — secure and away from children's reach.
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