Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels in Fully Breastfed Infants on Oral Vitamin D Supplementation

Carol L Wagner,Heather Will,Thomas C Hulsey,Myla Ebeling,Ruth A Lawrence,Sarah N Taylor,Cindy Howard,Jay Hutson,Bruce W Hollis

doi:10.1155/2010/235035

Abstract

Objective. To examine the effectiveness of oral vitamin D3 (400 IU) supplementation on the nutritional vitamin D status of breastfeeding infants. Design. As part of a larger ongoing vitamin D RCT trial of lactating women, infants of mothers assigned to control received 1 drop of 400 IU vitamin D3/day starting at one month of age. Infant 25(OH)D levels (mean ± S.D.) were measured by RIA at visits 1, 4, and 7. Results. The infant mean ± S.D. 25(OH)D at baseline was 16.0 ±9.3 ng/mL (range 1.0–40.8; n = 33); 24 (72.7%) had baseline levels <20 ng/mL (consistent with deficiency). The mean levels increased to 43.6 ±14.1 (range 18.2–69.7) at 4 months and remained relatively unchanged at month 7: 42.5 ±12.1 ng/mL (range 18.9–67.2). The change in values between 1 and 4 months and 1 and 7 months was statistically significant (P ≤ .0001), and despite a decrease in dose per kilogram, values were not significantly different between months 4 and 7 (P = .66). Conclusions. Oral vitamin D3 supplementation as an oil emulsion was associated with significant and sustained increases in 25(OH)D from baseline in fully breastfeeding infants through 7 months.

Highlights

IntroductionThe risk of vitamin D deficiency is significant [1, 2]. Human milk, though replete in most nutrients, is sorely lacking in vitamin D at the current maternal intake recommendation of 400 IU/day
Among breastfed infants, the risk of vitamin D deficiency is significant [1, 2]
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a number of disease states including but certainly not limited to rheumatoid arthritis [10], multiple sclerosis [11,12,13,14], type I and II diabetes [15,16,17,18,19], Crohn’s disease [20], cardiovascular disease [21, 22], and a number of cancers [23, 24]

Summary

Introduction

The risk of vitamin D deficiency is significant [1, 2]. Human milk, though replete in most nutrients, is sorely lacking in vitamin D at the current maternal intake recommendation of 400 IU/day. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a number of disease states including but certainly not limited to rheumatoid arthritis [10], multiple sclerosis [11,12,13,14], type I and II diabetes [15,16,17,18,19], Crohn’s disease [20], cardiovascular disease [21, 22], and a number of cancers [23, 24] With this knowledge, it is clear that vitamin D supplementation of the breastfed infant is necessary and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatrics Society [5, 25]

Methods

Results

Conclusion