Vitamin D – Yay or Nay?

There is a lot of information circulating right now about the benefits of Vitamin D. If you are or have been a client of the Midwives of New Jersey you would have been encouraged to take Vitamin D supplementation during your pregnancy. But what about after you gave birth? Did your pediatrician talk to you about providing a Vitamin D supplement to your baby? Are your older children on a Vitamin D supplement? If the answer is no, consider starting your infant and older children on a Vitamin D supplement. For infants the current recommendation is to start the baby on 400IU (International Units) of Vitamin D every day. This recommendation is not new, it was actually first published in 2008 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

What’s the big deal about Vitamin D?

So what is the big deal about Vitamin D? In addition to known benefits of supporting healthy bone development and growth, Vitamin D has been documented to boost the immune system and support overall heart and cardiovascular health. Boosting the immune system is important at any age, it is even more important heading into flu season. It is especially important for our children that are in daycare or other settings where they are exposed to so many viruses.

It’s never too late

It is never too late to start supplementing your child with Vitamin D and there are multiple forms readily available. For infants there are liquid drops, for older children there are varieties of chewable Vitamin D. And don’t worry if you forget a day here or there, Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. That means your body can store it and use it when it needs to. The great thing about chewable gummy vitamins? My son actually reminds me that he needs to take his Vitamin D!