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2007-9-3 13:40:46 |
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Breastfeeding mothers may be vitamin D deficient and they may increase their intake of vitamin D to prevent vitamin D deficiency in their infants, a new study suggests. The study by Joyce M. Lee and colleagues from University of Michigan and other institutions found that 50 percent of the mothers and 65 percent of their newborn infants were vitamin D deficient. In the study, Lee and team tested 40 healthy, mostly Black, mother-infant pairs for plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and they found the majority had vitamin D deficiency although a majority of them used a daily multivitamins. Vitamin D is important for children to grow healthy bone. For children, long term deficiency of vitamin D can lead to development of rickets. Black people are prone to being vitamin D deficient as they can not absorb sunshine well as white people because of their dark skin. Mothers may take vitamin D supplements to reduce the risk of vitamin D deficiency. But be aware that not all types of vitamin D in supplements are made the same. They can also expose themselves often to sunshine to get natural vitamin D. Exposure to sunshine is the major route for everyone to get vitamin D. This is the cheap, effective and safe way to obtain vitamin D. Another good source is vitamin D rich cod liver oil. Both omega-fatty acids and vitamin D in the fish liver oil are great for babies. The study titled Vitamin D Deficiency in a Healthy Group of Mothers and Newborn Infants was published in Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 46, No. 1, 42-44 (2007). |
