Safety of Vitamin D drops?

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

All you need to do is get outside a bit every day. Then you won't have to
worry about poking a baby once a month or use UV lights and so on.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

wrote in message
oups.com...
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

All Dr.'s urge the use of vitamin D drops for breastfed babies, but as far
as I know, from reading that I have done, is that the majority of babies are
born with enough in their system to get them through the first 6 months. I
gave it to my daughter whenever I remembered it, I probably used about a
bottle and a half all together. I wouldn't stress about it too much, babies
don't need a whole lot of sun exposure to get enough vitamin D (neither do
adults)

wrote in message
oups.com...
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

"Sue" wrote in message
...
All you need to do is get outside a bit every day. Then you won't have to
worry about poking a baby once a month or use UV lights and so on.


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?

"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. I guess if I could stand 5 minutes a day,
hopefully that would be enough.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"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. I guess if I could stand 5 minutes a day,
hopefully that would be enough.

The Monk gets that walking to and from the car!! Its just his face and
hands though.

"Stormlady" wrote in message
...
All Dr.'s urge the use of vitamin D drops for breastfed babies,

My ped didn't recommend it for ds or for dd - with ds, I asked about
vitamins, bc I had read that some docs recommend them, but he said they
shouldn't need them.

wrote:

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?

I can't comment on her specific likelihood but the CDC recommends that
(conservatively) babies on average need 30 minutes of sunlight exposure
wearing a diaper only per week or 2 hours per week clothed but with no
hat. Sunlight is the best way to keep vit D levels up, much more
effective than via breastmilk or the reserved from birth, both of which
depend on maternal stores. Babies with darker skin need more time
outside than those with lighter skin, as you obviously know.

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

Nope. After all formula contains supplemental Vitamin D and of all the
criticisms of formula I've never heard of the vit D specifically being
a problem.

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

I think if they were safer they would be offered as an alternative by
the major health organizations. Personally I think it is easier to give
my kid a dropper of vit D most days during the winter than set them
under a light bulb or much more invasively, bring them in for regular
blood draws. Ouch.

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.

Plus, she really enjoys looking at the sky while I change her, and we
talk about the kids who are waiting for the big yellow school bus, and
the big red stop sign, and the blue car, etc. It's one of our favorite
times of day, that first morning change - so much so that I videotaped
it a couple weeks ago.

Amy

I would NOT use a UV light. I am not sure but I think you could
possibly damage your babies eyes.

No other advice, sorry, in my part of the world the problem is avoiding
the sun as much as possible. I have had a sunburnt newborn, not good at
all.

Larissa