Safety of Vitamin D drops?

"Sue" wrote in message
...
"Child" wrote in message
Sue, whats "a bit" and how much skin needs to be exposed? Living in
Alaska
sometimes "a bit" can be really cold and not too sunny?


I thought I read here on this ng something about 30 minutes a week. I
could
be totally off though. The article even said something about cloudy
weather
passing UV rays through also.

Clouds do allow UV rays through, or else so many people wouldn't get burnt
on cloudy days. I do live under an ozone hole though, so our problem is the
opposite. I can't imagine sticking a baby with needles once a month for vit.
D. If I was really that worried, I'd probably just go with the drops.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

"Amy" wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
Our pediatrician recommended giving Vitamin D drops to our newborn to
supplement breastfeeding.

I solved the vitamin D problem by arranging the nursery so that her
changing table is in front of the east-facing window. I'm more than
positive that she gets 30 minutes a week of sun exposure - even on the
parts that are normally covered by a diaper - as I try to clean her up!
I'm in the northern midwest, and it's cold here for much of the year,
too. But the window is always warm and sunny during the day, even on
cloudy days it gets a lot of light.

The only barrier I see to this is if people have tinted windows that block
UV. Here, where we get lots of sun, not many people have them, but I'm sure
in parts of the Northern US & Canada where sunny days are few, there are
tinted windows abound.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

Mum of Two wrote:
"Amy" wrote:
wrote:
Our pediatrician recommended giving Vitamin D drops to our newborn to
supplement breastfeeding.

On sunlight and vitamin D, latitude as well as season makes a huge
difference. 30 minutes in the Boston winter will get you virtually no
Vtamin D conversion; a very different situation from my home town in
Australia. References and further discussion:
http://home.comcast.net/~ammawell/vitaminD.html

I solved the vitamin D problem by arranging the nursery so that her
changing table is in front of the east-facing window. I'm more than
positive that she gets 30 minutes a week of sun exposure - even on the
parts that are normally covered by a diaper - as I try to clean her up!

The only barrier I see to this is if people have tinted windows that block
UV. Here, where we get lots of sun, not many people have them, but I'm sure
in parts of the Northern US & Canada where sunny days are few, there are
tinted windows abound.

Standard window glass blocks UVB, which is the type of ultraviolet light
needed to make vitamin D.

Lara

wrote:

Our pediatrician recommended giving Vitamin D drops to our newborn to
supplement breastfeeding.

Being skeptical of artifical supplementation, I researched the need for
the drops and found that it is due to the likely lack of sunlight that
our baby will receive. She is a slightly dark-skinned asian baby who
will be breastfed through the winter months in Boston.

I am planning to request monthly Vitamin D blood testing as part of our
pediatric visits, and then supplement only if her levels start to drop.

Yowza. I frankly had a hard time with the first shots, let alone
venipuncture. In the way-back-when days, the blood was drawn from the
back of the hand for infants, and parents were encouraged to restrain
the infant. For me, the multiple blood draws ( 2 weeks, 2 months, 4
months, 6 months, 9 months, if memory serves) would be a real turn-off.


I was looking for other peoples experiences in:
1) how likely is vitamin D deficiency, given her skin color and that we
will only be able to get her in the winter sun for about 30 minutes /
week?

Probably pretty likely. I live northwest of Boston (495 belt) , and
have 1 dark skinned daughter, who was exclusively breastfed for the
first 10 months of life. We didn't get 30 minutes of sun/week in the
fall through winter (starting in say, October through April), given
that the recommendation is for children to be exposed only wearing a
diaper at this latitude (which just makes me laugh), and knowing that
our windowpane glass effectively blocked UV.

We did the drops with her, and with her sister throughout the
fall/winter (after they were 6 months old) -- in fact, I think their
current children's vitamin contains 'Vitamin D' , as do mine.

2) does anyone know of any safety issues from the drops?

Don't know.

3) would far-fetched ideas like the use of pet-store UVB light bulbs be
a safer/riskier alternative?

Much riskier, I'd guess. Aren't those similar to the 'tanning parlor'
lights?

Caledonia

wrote:
Our pediatrician recommended giving Vitamin D drops to our newborn to
supplement breastfeeding.

Being skeptical of artifical supplementation, I researched the need for
the drops and found that it is due to the likely lack of sunlight that
our baby will receive. She is a slightly dark-skinned asian baby who
will be breastfed through the winter months in Boston.

I am planning to request monthly Vitamin D blood testing as part of our
pediatric visits, and then supplement only if her levels start to drop.

I was looking for other peoples experiences in:
1) how likely is vitamin D deficiency, given her skin color and that we
will only be able to get her in the winter sun for about 30 minutes /
week?
2) does anyone know of any safety issues from the drops?
3) would far-fetched ideas like the use of pet-store UVB light bulbs be
a safer/riskier alternative?

-MVL

I read an article in our paper a few months ago about the rise of
rickets in breastfed babies. I'd rather give the drops than risk sun
damage.

Renee

On 30 Nov 2005 12:20:29 -0800, in misc.kids.breastfeeding "Renee"
wrote:


I read an article in our paper a few months ago about the rise of
rickets in breastfed babies. I'd rather give the drops than risk sun
damage.

Renee


Sunlight can help prevent skin cancer.. the sunshine skin cancer link is
starting to be refuted.

"Lara" wrote in message
...
Mum of Two wrote:
"Amy" wrote:
wrote:
Our pediatrician recommended giving Vitamin D drops to our newborn to
supplement breastfeeding.

On sunlight and vitamin D, latitude as well as season makes a huge
difference. 30 minutes in the Boston winter will get you virtually no
Vtamin D conversion; a very different situation from my home town in
Australia. References and further discussion:
http://home.comcast.net/~ammawell/vitaminD.html

I solved the vitamin D problem by arranging the nursery so that her
changing table is in front of the east-facing window. I'm more than
positive that she gets 30 minutes a week of sun exposure - even on the
parts that are normally covered by a diaper - as I try to clean her up!

The only barrier I see to this is if people have tinted windows that
block
UV. Here, where we get lots of sun, not many people have them, but I'm
sure
in parts of the Northern US & Canada where sunny days are few, there are
tinted windows abound.

Standard window glass blocks UVB, which is the type of ultraviolet light
needed to make vitamin D.

Interesting, thanks! So obviously the advice we get here from our midwives
(as a mother to a slightly jaundiced winter baby) to have nappy-free time in
front of a window wrong?


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

Amy wrote:
I solved the vitamin D problem by arranging the nursery so that her
changing table is in front of the east-facing window.

UVB doesn't pass through glass; she's not getting any of the light
required to synthesize D this way.

--
tristyn
www.tristyn.net

Mum of Two wrote:

"Lara" wrote in message
Standard window glass blocks UVB, which is the type of ultraviolet light
needed to make vitamin D.

Interesting, thanks! So obviously the advice we get here from our midwives
(as a mother to a slightly jaundiced winter baby) to have nappy-free time in
front of a window wrong?

Well, if you open the window...

Lara

tristyn wrote:
Amy wrote:
I solved the vitamin D problem by arranging the nursery so that her
changing table is in front of the east-facing window.

UVB doesn't pass through glass; she's not getting any of the light
required to synthesize D this way.

Rats! And here I thought I was so clever...

Oh well. She still likes to look out the window while I change her.

Funny, I live north of the line marked "40" on the globe, and it's cold
here and no one gets any sun in the winter, and no one has said a word
to me about vitamin D drops...

Amy