Infants Getting Too Much Vitamin D, FDA Warns

According to the US FDA, some infants are receiving too much vitamin D via supplement drops. This statement comes only weeks after the CDC warned that infants were not getting enough Vitamin D and suggested parents should supplement.

Liquid vitamin D is sold to parents to help supplement their infant’s and children’s vitamin D levels. The body naturally makes vitamin D after exposure to sunlight, though some infants do not get enough sun exposure to create enough. While infant formulas are fortified with vitamin D, breastmilk does not have this important vitamin in it. After a study of infants, the CDC recommended parents use supplements to help their infants.

Unfortunately, the FDA says that some parents are accidentally giving their infants too much.

“It is important that infants not get more than the recommended daily amount of vitamin D,” FDA spokeswoman Linda Katz said in a press release. “Parents and caregivers should only use the dropper that comes with the vitamin supplement purchased.”

Only 400 international units (IU) are recommended per day by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some infant droppers used to feed the liquid vitamin D to infants holds much more, however. Rather than reading the recommended amount, some parents may be filling the droppers too full or using other droppers that hold much more.

The FDA is now recommended that vitamin manufacturers supply droppers that are both clearly marked and adequate size. Parents are urged to only use the droppers that come with the liquid vitamin bottles.

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SOURCE