VITAMINS
Vitamins should be started shortly after the baby comes home from the hospital.
Babies on certain types of formula require additional
supplemental vitamins.
Some physicians feel that A, D, and C are the only supplemental vitamins
required, and that milk contains enough B vitamins to prevent deficiencies from
arising. Others feel it's essential to give B vitamins.
Some of the proprietary formulas contain a minimum amount of vitamins, so if the
baby takes a full quart of formula, your doctor may feel he's getting adequate
vitamins. He will tell you what vitamin program he prefers for your baby.
In recent years, studies have indicated that an excessive amount of vitamins can
be detrimental. Don't assume that because a specific amount of vitamins is
necessary for the baby, an increased amount will be more beneficial. Always give
the recommended dose. When it calls for a few drops, give a few drops and not a
teaspoonful.
The doctor will tell you how many units to give the baby. Check the package
label to see how many units are in x number of drops or in a teaspoonful.
TIME FOR VITAMINS C AND D
Cow's
milk is lacking in vitamins C and D. It's also
lacking in iron, a mineral which Baby has to have for health.
Baby comes into the world with enough iron stored up to last him for some time,
but if he's formula-fed, he needs vitamins C and D added almost from the first.
This is why they are now introduced in some form as early as the second or third
week.
Human milk contains vitamin C in ample amounts, especially if the mother is
getting vitamin C in proper amount in her own diet. But the breast-fed baby does
need vitamin D.
SOURCES OF VITAMIN D
For many years, cod-liver oil and other fish oils have been
the main source of vitamin D. They also contain vitamin A. Because the taste and
smell of these products is objectionable, they're no longer used extensively as
a source of these vitamins.
Commercial preparations containing vitamins A and D are available singularly or
in combination with vitamin C and the B vitamins. There are also flavored syrups
and, for the older child, chewable tablets and capsules.
Regardless of the child's age, 400 I.U. (International Units) of vitamin D will
fulfill all the needed requirements to insure superior skeletal development.
Because certain illnesses are believed to result from overdoses of vitamin D, it
is important that the daily dosage does not exceed 800 units a day.
The best natural source of vitamin D is sunshine. When your child gets older and
is out in the sunshine a lot, it's probably unnecessary to give supplemental
vitamin D.
Check with your doctor to see if there's sufficient sunshine in your area to
warrant discontinuing vitamin D during the summer.
Fortified milk has 400 U.S.P. units of vitamin D added to the quart (in the case
of fresh milk). In evaporated milk, 400 units of vitamin D are contained in the
amount of milk which, when combined with an equal amount of water, will make one
quart. Most babies won't take a full quart every day so a vitamin supplement is
required.
VITAMIN C
Until a few years ago, orange juice was the main source of the 30 to
50 milligram vitamin C requirement for bottle-fed babies. Vitamin C was, not
incorporated in vitamin drops because it would lose its potency.
Now, stable vitamin C is incorporated in most vitamin products, and it's no
longer necessary to give orange juice or tomato juice.
Many doctors prefer that orange juice not be given until the baby is much older
because of the high allergy incidence associated with it. Often, babies develop
a rash, vomit, or have diarrhea after taking orange juice.
VITAMIN B1
Vitamin B1 is assuming more importance in the feeding of infants
because there is a direct connection between energy metabolism and the
requirement of thiamin (vitamin B1).
Your baby is an energetic little fellow and needs his thiamin. Both the
breast-fed and the bottle-fed baby get only the minimum requirement of vitamin
B1 in their food until whole- grain cereals and other B1-rich foods are added to
the diet. Therefore, many doctors recommend vitamins containing B1, but there is
some question as to whether extra vitamin B1 is actually needed as there is no
evidence of vitamin B1 deficiency in the early infant stage.
VITAMIN A
The
Food and Nutritional Board of the National Research Council recommends an
allowance of 1,500 units of vitamin A per day. A quart of cow's milk will supply
this amount of vitamin A, and the equivalent amount of breast milk will supply
even more. Therefore, supplemental vitamin A is not necessary. However, vitamin
A accompanies the vitamin D in commercial preparations, so the baby definitely
receives an adequate amount.
OTHER VITAMINS
Also
recommended by the Food and Nutritional Board are 6 to 7 milligrams of niacin
daily for infants. Both human milk and cow's milk are somewhat deficient in
niacin. However, we don't see symptoms of deficiency in the infant-age group,
because most milks contain an abundant amount of tryptophan which meets part of
this vitamin requirement.
Pyridoxine, or vitamin B1, is another important B vitamin. The recommended
dosage is 500 milligrams. Deficiencies are not encountered when breast and cow's
milk are used.
Vitamin K is usually given to the newborn shortly after birth. Your obstetrician
or pediatrician will handle it before the baby leaves the hospital.
HOW TO GIVE VITAMINS
If you
give the vitamins with a dropper, be sure it's placed in the cheek or on the
tongue and squeezed. Do not squirt the vitamins directly into the back part of
the mouth, because the baby may choke, gag, and draw them into his lungs. If the
baby is taking most of his formula, it's all right to include the vitamins in
the formula.
IRON
Iron is
essential if your child is to grow and develop. A lack of iron causes anemia,
loss of appetite, increased irritability, and decreased activity. The amount of
iron in cow's milk is inadequate. Therefore, you should begin feeding iron-rich
foods to your baby at the third month. The best sources are infant cereals
fortified with iron, egg, liver, and grain. |