Why does breastmilk not have enough vitamin D?

Understanding Vitamin D Deficiency in Breast Milk
Breast milk is widely recognized as the optimal source of nutrition for infants, providing essential nutrients that support growth and development. However, one notable shortcoming of breast milk is its insufficient vitamin D content. This deficiency raises important questions about the implications for infant health and the necessary interventions to ensure adequate vitamin D levels in breastfed babies.
The Role of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is crucial for bone health and plays a significant role in preventing conditions such as rickets, a disease characterized by weak or soft bones in children. It aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are vital for developing strong bones and teeth. Despite its importance, breast milk typically contains only small amounts of vitamin D, which is not sufficient to meet the daily requirements of exclusively breastfed infants.
Why Breast Milk Lacks Sufficient Vitamin D
The primary reason breast milk does not provide adequate vitamin D is related to the transfer of this nutrient from maternal blood to breast milk. Research indicates that even when breastfeeding mothers take vitamin D supplements, the concentration of vitamin D in their milk often remains low. For instance, daily maternal supplementation with vitamin D2 or D3 in doses ranging from 400 to 2,000 IU does not yield sufficient levels in breast milk to meet the needs of infants. This discrepancy arises because the vitamin D levels in a mother’s blood do not directly correlate with the amount that is transferred into her milk.
Moreover, the dietary intake of vitamin D by the mother can also be inadequate. Many women do not receive enough vitamin D from sunlight exposure or their diet, which further compounds the issue. This is particularly concerning in regions with limited sunlight, especially during winter months, when natural vitamin D synthesis in the skin is reduced.
Recommendations for Breastfed Infants
Given the limitations of breast milk in providing adequate vitamin D, health organizations recommend that breastfed infants receive vitamin D supplements. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that infants who are exclusively breastfed should receive a daily supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D starting shortly after birth. This supplementation is crucial to prevent deficiencies and support healthy bone development.
Conclusion
In summary, while breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants, it falls short in providing sufficient vitamin D. This deficiency is primarily due to the limited transfer of vitamin D from maternal blood to breast milk and the often inadequate dietary intake of mothers. To ensure that breastfed infants receive the necessary vitamin D for healthy growth, supplementation is essential. As awareness of this issue grows, healthcare providers continue to emphasize the importance of monitoring and addressing vitamin D levels in both mothers and their infants.

Are vitamin D drops necessary for breastfed babies?

Breastfed or partly breastfed babies need 400 international units (IU) of liquid vitamin D a day. This should start soon after birth. Babies need this amount of vitamin D supplement until weaned or until they drink 32 ounces (about 1 liter) a day of formula with added vitamin D.

Is it too late to give my baby vitamin D?

So the recommendation is that the baby should receive its own oral vitamin D drops containing 7-8.5µg per day from 4 weeks of birth until the age of 5 years. Waiting until the baby is 6 months may be too late to prevent development of symptoms. Mothers may also develop symptoms of deficiency themselves.

How can I prevent my breastfed baby from getting rickets?

1. Key Finding: Dark-skinned infants and children who are fed only breast milk should receive 400 IU of vitamin D supplementation daily, beginning by at least 2 months of age, to prevent rickets.
2. Vitamin D is necessary for proper bone growth, but it is not found in many foods naturally.

Why do breastfed babies rarely suffer from rickets?

Vitamin D is important for bone health, helping prevent nutritional rickets and fractures. Vitamin D levels are low in breast milk and exclusively breastfed infants are at risk of low vitamin D levels. Study characteristics: evidence is up‐to‐date as of May 2020.

What vitamins are low in breastfeeding mothers?

Your vitamin B12 requirements increase while breastfeeding. If you’re deficient, it might affect the quality of your breast milk and affect your baby’s levels — this can affect their brain development. If you don’t eat meat or dairy, you’re at higher risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency.

What if I forgot to give my breastfed baby vitamin D drops?

Give your baby the supplement when you remember – but don’t give more than one dose a day. Do not give extra to make up for missed days. * This is a public health recommendation for healthy infants.

How do I add vitamin D to my breast milk?

You need to take a high dose of Vitamin D for it to get into your milk. The recommended dose is 4000-6400 IU. The Vitamin D dosage in prenatals is much lower than this.

Which vitamin is most deficient in breast milk?

Overall, human breast milk has been found to be low in certain nutrients in developed countries: vitamin D, iodine, iron, and vitamin K. Additional nutrient deficiencies have been documented in resource-poor countries: vitamin A, vitamin B 12, zinc, and vitamin B 1/thiamin.

Why doesn’t breast milk have enough vitamin D?

Current recommendations that babies are not exposed to strong direct sunlight have also led to a decrease in their absorption of vitamin D. When this is combined with a mother having low levels, it further reduces the amount that passes through breastmilk.

How much vitamin D does it take to pass through breast milk?

6400 IU/day
What This Study Adds: 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.