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Do breastfed infants need supplemental vitamins?

F R Greer1

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics and Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. frgreer@facstaff.wisc.edu

Pediatric Clinics of North America
|May 8, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Human milk may not provide adequate vitamin D and K for infants. Supplementation is rarely needed for healthy, breastfed babies of well-nourished mothers, except for vitamin K at birth and vitamin D in specific cases.

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Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Human Nutrition
  • Infant Health

Background:

  • Human milk is the primary nutrition source for infants.
  • Nutrient adequacy from human milk is crucial for infant development.
  • Established nutritional requirements, like the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), guide infant feeding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the vitamin content of human milk in relation to infant nutritional needs.
  • To identify potential vitamin deficiencies in exclusively breastfed infants.
  • To inform recommendations on vitamin supplementation for breastfeeding infants.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of vitamin levels in human milk samples (data from Table 2).
  • Comparison of human milk vitamin content against Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA).
  • Review of factors influencing vitamin levels, such as maternal nutrition and infant characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Human milk does not meet the DRI for all vitamins in exclusively breastfed infants.
  • Vitamin D intake shows a significant discrepancy with RDA, though sunlight synthesis is a factor.
  • Vitamin K supplementation is essential in the newborn period; other deficiencies are rare with adequate maternal nutrition.

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin deficiencies are uncommon in healthy, breastfed infants of well-nourished mothers.
  • Routine vitamin supplementation is generally not required.
  • Specific supplementation needs exist for Vitamin K at birth and Vitamin D for infants with dark skin or insufficient sun exposure.

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