Babies and vitamin D – your common questions answered
Vitamin D supports your infant’s healthy growth and development. Here’s what you need to know.
Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that supports your baby’s healthy growth and aids healthy bone development.
As adults, we can get our vitamin D from the sun – it forms in the skin when it is exposed to the sun.1
We also get a small amount of vitamin D from foods including eggs and oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, and from vitamin D-fortified food including margarine.
But for babies, who aren’t out in the sun or able to load up on eggs or oily fish, things get a little more complicated.
Here are the answers to some questions about vitamin D and your baby that you may have.
Why is vitamin D required in my baby’s body?
This great vitamin:
- Maintains healthy growth and development
- Assists teeth development
- Maintains teeth mineralisation and strength
- Supports bone strength
- Supports muscle health and function
- Maintains healthy immune system function
How can my baby get vitamin D?
When you’re pregnant, your baby receives vitamin D from you (some mums-to-be will require a supplement).
Once your baby is born, it is still important to ensure your baby is getting enough vitamin D.2
Does breastfeeding or formula feeding give my baby enough vitamin D?
While breastmilk does contain some vitamin D, it may not be enough for your baby.
Baby formula includes vitamin D, but again, it may not be enough for your bub.3
So, how can I support my baby to get vitamin D?
Whether your little bundle of joy is breast or bottle-fed, or a combination of both, babies can also be supported by being given a vitamin D supplement until the age of 12 months or as advised by a doctor.4
A supplement that is helping babies aged over six months to support their vitamin D levels is Pentavite Vitamin D3 & K2 Infant & Kids Liquid.
Simply use the provided syringe to deliver the liquid straight into your baby’s mouth.
The liquid supports the healthy growth and development of babies over six months of age.
That includes assisting healthy bone development and supporting healthy immune system function.
Pentavite Vitamin D3 & K2 Infant & Kids Liquid also contains vitamin K2 to help support bone mineralisation, and contains no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners.
Trust Pentavite, dedicated to kids’ health for more than 50 years, to support your precious little one!
* This post is brought to you by Pentavite Vitamin D3 & K2 Infant & Kids Liquid. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
1 Cancer Council, Vitamin D, retrieved May 2024 from https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/vitamin-d
2 The Royal Women’s Hospital, vitamin D for you and your baby, retrieved May 2024 from https://thewomens.r.worldssl.net/images/uploads/fact-sheets/Vitamin-D-for-you-and-your-baby_220429.pdf
3 The Royal Women’s Hospital, vitamin D for you and your baby, retrieved May 2024 from https://thewomens.r.worldssl.net/images/uploads/fact-sheets/Vitamin-D-for-you-and-your-baby_220429.pdf
4 The Royal Women’s Hospital, vitamin D for you and your baby, retrieved May 2024 from https://thewomens.r.worldssl.net/images/uploads/fact-sheets/Vitamin-D-for-you-and-your-baby_220429.pdf
