Research & Development In Brief
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Most U.S. infants consume insufficient vitamin D: Most U.S. infants do not consume the 400 IU of vitamin D daily recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and should take supplements of the nutrient, according to a study in the April issue of Pediatrics. While more than 80 percent of formula-fed infants consume enough vitamin D, fewer than 15 percent of breast-fed infants and mix-fed infants meet the AAP guidelines established in 2008, according to researchers led by Cria Perrine, with the Epidemic Intelligence Service in the Office of Workforce and Career Development at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Researchers evaluated vitamin D consumption in infants less than 1 year old enrolled in the Infant Feeding Practices Study II between 2005 and 2007. At that time, AAP recommended infants consume 200 IU of vitamin D daily, a value the academy doubled in November 2008. Researchers measured vitamin D compliance with the 2008 guidelines based on the assumption that feeding habits did not change greatly between the end of the study and the revised recommendation. In addition, researchers found only 1 percent to 13 percent of infants took oral vitamin D supplements - something the AAP recommends during the first year of life. With this in mind, the researchers recommend most infants take a vitamin D supplement