Breast milk alone does not provide infants with an adequate amount of vitamin D. Shortly after birth, most infants will need an additional source of vitamin D.
The AAP recommends all breastfed babies receive at least 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily, starting within the first few days of life. Talk with your pediatrician about supplemental vitamin D drops for your baby.
Breastmilk contains all the nutrients the infant needs for proper growth and development. These nutrients include: Free water. Proteins – Protein accounts for 75% of the nitrogen-containing compounds and the non-protein nitrogen substances include urea, nucleotides, peptides, free amino acids and DNA.
Breastmilk provides all nutrients, vitamins and minerals that an infant needs for growth in the first six months of life, where no other liquids or food are needed. It continues to be an absolutely essential part of our baby's diet up until two years of age and beyond.
As a whole, evidence supports an increase in breast milk vitamin D and 25(OH)D concentrations with maternal supplementation of 1,000–6,400 IU/d during lactation (117–123). Vitamin D concentrations vary seasonally and are higher in hindmilk than in foremilk (117).
Maternal vitamin D supplementation alone with 6400 IU/day safely supplies breast milk with adequate vitamin D to satisfy the requirement of her nursing infant and offers an alternate strategy to direct infant supplementation.
Your baby's immunities are lowest between 2 to 6 months of age. By breastfeeding, you are providing him the best protection during this vulnerable time.
Caffeine: Coffee, tea, and soft drinks with caffeine should be limited. Caffeine does pass through the milk and makes some babies restless and fussy. Alcohol: Alcohol is a drug.
Compared with formula, the nutrients in breastmilk are better absorbed and used by your baby. These include sugar (carbohydrate) and protein. Breastmilk has the nutrients that are best for your baby's brain growth and nervous system development.
While breast milk is the best source of nutrients for babies, it likely won't provide enough vitamin D. Babies need vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Too little vitamin D can cause rickets, a softening and weakening of bones.
By age 6 months, however, infants require an external source of iron apart from breast milk. Breast milk contains little iron; therefore, parents of infants receiving only breast milk should talk to their infant's health care provider about whether their infant needs iron supplements before 6 months of age.
According to Kelleher, zinc is one of the most important micronutrients in breast milk: Infants need large quantities of it during the first months of their lives to support growth, immune function, and cognitive development.
Breastfeeding is the recommended method of feeding infants because it provides babies with ideal amounts of necessary nutrients and immune factors. Though breastfeeding is great for babies, it does it not provide infants with an adequate intake of vitamin D or B12, and it also increases a mother's need for vitamin B12.
Breastfed babies are also less likely to have ear infections and stomach bugs. Breast milk shares antibodies from the mother with her baby. These antibodies help babies develop a strong immune system and protect them from illnesses.
Only your milk—not formula or donor milk—has the one-of-a-kind antibodies to lower the chances that your baby becomes sick with COVID-19.
Breastfed babies have fewer infections and hospitalizations than formula-fed infants. During breastfeeding, antibodies and other germ-fighting factors pass from a mother to her baby and strengthen the immune system. This helps lower a baby's chances of getting many infections, including: ear infections.
Breastfed babies who are getting enough breast milk do not become constipated. Your baby is bright, alert and responsive with moist lips and good skin tone. They are reaching their developmental milestones. They are having a steady weight gain when averaged out over a four week period.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 [PDF-30.6MB] recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding while introducing appropriate complementary foods for 1 year or longer.
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (a global organisation) recommends that “The breastfeeding infant should receive vitamin D supplementation for a year, beginning shortly after birth in doses of 10–20 lg/day (400–800 IU/day) (LOE IB).
If they do, common symptoms are muscle weakness or cramps, bone pain, feeling tired or being depressed. Vitamin D deficiency can cause babies and children to get rickets. Rickets is a disease that causes thin, weak and deformed bones.
For formula-fed infants this could be within a few months of life but for infants who are exclusively breast fed this is not until they reach 1 year of age and are able to start drinking fortified whole milk. Ask your pediatrician when to stop giving your child vitamin D drops.