What to know
Do infants get enough vitamin D from breast milk?
No. Breast milk alone does not provide infants with enough vitamin D. Shortly after birth, breastfed infants, and partially breastfed infants who consume less than 32 ounces of infant formula per day, will need an additional source of vitamin D through a supplement.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that breastfed and partially breastfed infants receive 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily beginning in the first few days of life.
Families who do not wish to provide a supplement directly to their infant should discuss the risks and benefits of maternal high-dose supplements with a health care provider.
Why are breastfed infants at risk for vitamin D deficiency?
The risk for vitamin D deficiency increases when there is limited exposure to sunlight or when an infant is not consuming an adequate amount of vitamin D.
Other factors that decrease the amount of vitamin D a person can make from sunlight include:
- Living at high latitudes (closer to the polar regions), particularly during winter.
- High levels of air pollution.
- Dense cloud covering.
- The degree to which clothing covers the skin.
- Use of sunscreen.
- Darker skin types.
Because adequate sunshine exposure varies and sunshine exposure may increase the risk of skin cancer, vitamin D supplementation is recommended for breastfed infants.
Learn more:
- Micronutrient Facts: Vitamin D
- Infant and Toddler Nutrition: Vitamin D
- Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents—American Academy of Pediatrics
- Policy Statement on Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure for Children and Adolescents—American Academy of Pediatrics
- Sun Safety Facts—CDC
- Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals—National Institutes of Health
- Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers—National Institutes of Health