Vitamin D Pregnancy

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The HSE, Department of Health and Children and Food Safety Authority of Ireland have issued advice on vitamin D supplementation for Irish babies, Gaye GoDkIn explains.
diets do not have enough vitamin D. Infants with African, Afro-Caribbean, Middle-Eastern or Indian ethnic backgrounds are at even higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. Their stores of vitamin D may be particularly low when born as their mothers skin is not as efficient at making vitamin D from the amount and type of sunlight in Ireland. It is now a public health policy that all infants born in Ireland must receive Vitamin D3 drops from birth, whether babies are breast- or bottle-fed. Vitamin D, otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, is chronically lacking in the Irish population. Ireland has a very northerly latitude we are approximately 53 degrees away from the equator and therefore do not get sufficient sunshine.

Vitamin D and Breastfeeding

Infants from newborn to 12 months grow very quickly and are at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Exclusively breast-fed infants are more at risk than bottle-fed, however all infants are at risk of deficiency since their Vitamin D stores at birth are dependent on their mothers vitamin D status during pregnancy. There appears to be a fault in Mother Natures hardwiring of vitamin D as babies are born with only 50 to 60 per cent of mums stores, which is typically very low in women in Ireland anyway. Research carried out last year at the National Maternity Hospital showed that no pregnant woman in the study met the recommended daily allowance for vitamin D. This would suggest that those babies were therefore lacking during foetal development in the womb and their stores would have been very low at birth.

What is Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which is needed for every cell in the body to function properly. When the sun shines on our skin, the body makes vitamin D. We need to top up our supply as often as possible. Sitting in the sunshine for more than 15 or 20 minutes per day is not recommended as there is a direct connection between skin cancers and sun exposure. Furthermore from October to March we see very little sunshine in Ireland.

formation. When a child has insufficient nutrients, the bone does not form correctly and this leads to deformity. This condition is not easy to reverse but is totally preventable. Furthermore, it is now widely accepted that insufficient calcium and vitamin D in early childhood can lead to osteoporosis in later life. In Ireland we have very high rates of osteoporosis, with one-in-three Irish women over the age of 65 developing it. This very important vitamin is also gaining lots of positive attention from the research community. It is now being investigated for its role in autoimmune disease, Type 1 Diabetes, and cancers.

Supplementation
Selecting the right supplement is important. The recommended form of vitamin D supplement for infants is actually vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). It should be given as an oral supplement in a liquid or drop form and should contain only vitamin D3 it should not contain any other vitamins. It should provide five micrograms (5ug) of D3 daily. Supplementing your baby is a very simple preventative health care strategy. Remember to give the drops daily. Gaye Godkin, MPH Nutrition DipNT cNLP mNS, is a Consultant Public Health Nutritionist.
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Infants and Vitamin D

Infant skin is very sensitive and burns easily and should not be directly exposed to the sun. The Irish Cancer Society recommends that babys skin is not exposed to direct sunlight, and should be protected by clothing, shade and sunscreen. Therefore, infants do not have the capacity to safely get Vitamin D from the sun. Infant

Importance of Vitamin D
Rickets has re-emerged in Ireland. Rickets is a condition which affects bone