My view on vitamin D supplementation in babies

Living Life and loving the sun
Jasmine and Alama Moller:  Each dressed for the beach
suited to their respective skin types.

"Gary, I wondered if you had a view on vitamin D supplementation in babies. I noticed US and UK recommendations have been updated so that vit D should be given in supplemental form to babies (along with iron, tho generally thru iron enhanced rice cereal). Australia doesn't appear to have any checks for this level in babies but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lack given their focus on sunblock and hats.

It is mentioned in a number of articles that vitamin d is present in breastmilk but not in high enough quantities. I take a vit d supplement and XXX is still Breastfeeding."

"P"
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Gary:
It is now over five years that I have been reviewing blood tests for vitamin D and so far not one single person has presented with optimum results (120-160nm/l).  Most actual results are from 30-80nm/l which is a shocking indictment on the success of the Cancer Society's ill conceived Sun Smart programme which reaps millions of dollars in revenue for them at great cost to the health of the general populace.  The lowest was 9nm/l.  My small sample of pregnant and nursing women a vitamin D of about 30-50nm/l is pretty typical.

Anything less than 50nm/l is clinically vitamin D deficient 

and requires urgent attention.

A mother, foetus and nursing baby will benefit substantially and in many ways from mother sunbathing 5-
10 minutes in the midday sun, exposing her thighs and torso.  On days she does not do this she can take from 2-4,000iu of natural vitamin D.

To help prevent skin damage from sun exposure she can take 2-4 capsules per day of either ICL Alogotene or Lifestream Astazan.  Sunblock creams prevent vitamin D formation.

Medical practice is to prescribe massive doses of synthetic vitamin D in either single doses or multiple ones once a week or month.  This is a poor practice that is of questionable health benefit.  Give great preference to small daily doses of natural vitamin D.

Breastfeeding is an interesting issue with regards to vitamin D.  First of all, if the mother is low in vitamin D then baby will be as well - much lower presumably.  So, if mother is low then it may be prudent to give baby some vitamin D drops daily.

Fat and protein: When seeking to boost your vitamin D by sunlight and supplements, please ensure your diet has an ample content of saturated fats and a good range of protein.  Vitamin D is manufactured under the skin from the actions of ultraviolet light on cholesterol.

Don't be fooled by the Heart Tick advice:

You need cholesterol to be healthy

You also need proteins to ensure the vitamin D (which is dissolved in fat) is properly utilised.  If mother has a low cholesterol, low protein diet one can presume that her milk will be low in proteins and low in fats and, by default, vitamin D.  baby will be missing out on these essential nutrients and we don't want that do we?

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