La vitamin D it is very important for health and for the correct development of the newborn. Vitamin D, in fact, is essential for the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus and for their deposition in the bones.
If there is insufficient vitamin D in the newborn, the bones cannot develop properly and rickets may appear.
Il rickets it is a disease of the skeletal system with childhood onset, caused precisely by a defect in the mineralization of the bones.
Sources of vitamin D.
Vitamin D can be taken with food, but it is mainly synthesized by the body by exposing itself to sunlight.
There are foods that are rich in vitamin D, but the main source is not food; to produce enough it is above all important to be outdoors, during the day, especially if there is the sun; in fact, in spring and summer we store vitamin D to be used even in the darkest months.
For adults, an adequate sun exposure dose has been established to avoid vitamin D deficiency; however, when we talk about infants and children we do not yet have sufficient knowledge to establish this dose. Also, up to six months of age, direct exposure to sunlight is generally not recommended.
How do you, then, for avoid vitamin D deficiency in infants?
Vitamin D, effects of deficiency and excess
How is vitamin D deficiency avoided in newborns?
National and international guidelines recommend the vitamin D supplementation in the newborn, from the first days of life, both in breastfed infants and in those who are fed with formula.
Does breast milk therefore not contain enough vitamin D? Breast milk is the ideal food for the newborn and contains all the nutrients it needs; however, the main source of vitamin D for humans is represented, as mentioned above, by sun exposure and the newborn, for obvious reasons, is often kept away from direct sunlight.
Doesn't even formula milk contain enough vitamin D? Exist formulas enriched with vitamin D; the opportunity to administer special supplements is established by the pediatrician, at the time of discharge of the newborn, after birth. Generally, supplements that contain vitamin D are still recommended.
How long to give vitamin D supplements to babies?
Much depends on the general health of the baby and the place where you live; in sunnier countries, where it is easier to benefit from direct sunlight, there is less need for vitamin D supplements than in darker ones.
Furthermore, there are several schools of thought; some pediatricians recommend administering vitamin D supplements only in the first three months of life, others to continue throughout the first year.
What are the other vitamins for babies?
