ATLANTA—A study published in Pediatrics reported most U.S. infants are not consuming adequate amounts of vitamin D according to the 2008 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation, i.e., 200 IU/d to 400 IU/d (2010; DOI:10.1542/peds.2009-2571). The study said pediatricians and health care providers should encourage parents of infants who are either breastfed or consuming less than 1 L/d of infant formula to give their infants an oral vitamin D supplement. Using data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, conducted from 2005 to 2007, researchers estimated the percentage of infants who met vitamin D recommendations at ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, 9 and 10.5 months (n =1,952–1,633).
The use of oral vitamin D supplements was low, regardless of whether infants were consuming breast milk or formula, ranging from 1 percent to 13 percent, varying by age. Among infants who consumed breast milk but no formula, only 5 percent to 13 percent met either recommendation. Among mixed-fed infants, 28 percent to 35 percent met the 2003 recommendation, but only 9 percent to 14 percent would have met the 2008 recommendation. Among those who consumed formula but no breast milk, 81 percent to 98 percent met the 2003 recommendation, but only 20 percent to 37 percent would have met the 2008 recommendation.
