The number one rule when considering supplements for your baby is to discuss it with your pediatrician. Between the two of you, you can determine the diet your baby has now and what might need to be supplemented. With that in mind, here is some general information that you can use to start to talk about supplements for your baby.
Vitamin supplements are called supplements because they are meant to do just that – “supplement” a baby’s good diet. Vitamin supplements are terrific because even a good diet can be lacking in nutrients due to improper storage of foods, too-early harvesting, and the lack of nutrients in our country’s depleted soils from poor farming methods.
Exclusively breast-fed babies are often prescribed a supplement containing vitamin D. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this because breast milk may not have enough of this nutrient, which is produced by sunlight on skin. Some, however, feel the need for Vitamin D as a supplement to a breastfeeding baby may not be necessary. You can read that point of view here on Homemade Baby Food Recipes.com.
Once you discuss supplements with your pediatrician, be sure to give your baby his vitamin supplement with her meals, not on an empty stomach. Vitamins work with food to help with chemical reactions in the body. For many babies the method will be to exclusively breast feed your baby until 6 months old and add vitamin D, and possibly iron drops (we’ll talk more about iron in the next post). Bottle fed babies will not need Vitamin D as a supplement as it is provided in formula.
In the next post we’ll discuss Iron and Fluoride as supplements. For even more information on nutritional supplements including a terrific appendix of every vitamin known to man defined with the nutritional needs of your baby by age check out the Super Baby Food book or check back here at the Super Baby Food Blog!