Has anyone used vitamin drops with infants?
Ok, so maybe I am a lil sceptical. But, I have two older kids who grew up just fine without vitamins, they got their nutrition through their food. Anyway, my youngest, 19weeks old, just had his four month check up and the doctor prescribed baby vitamin drops. My son is in perfect health… average height and weight. The doc said the AAP is advising that babies start taking these. It has vitamin D and flouride in it. Apparently where we live, they don’t flouridate the water, and the bottled water we drink has no flouride in it. These drops are supposed to have a 40% less occurrance of cavaties if taken.
I am just concerned because we seem to pump a lot of synthetic junk into our kids these days all in the name of ‘health’. My older sons never went to a dentist for a teeth cleaning until they were 6 yrs old each, and that is because when they were little the dentist wouldn’t even see them until 6 yrs old… now we got told that it is a preference and should be between when they get their first tooth and 2 yrs old… I am sorry but that sounds like I am lining someones pockets, not doing anything to benefit my child. Also, my kids never took vitamins because when they were younger it was felt that unless they were deficient somehow, you didn’t take them… now they prescribe them at 4 months old! So, I am just a little concerned about using these. I have seen over the years people who follow ‘trends’ with their infants and sometimes have a bad outcome. (Funny how the trend following doesnt happen with older kids, we must have it figured out by then, lol)
I just noticed with this baby that there are a lot of ‘sheep’ out there. Vitamins, breast feeding, formula feeding, solids feeding, vaccines… wow … a lot of huge opinions to be had… I just remember with my older two that you just… well, parented. Did what you needed to do when you needed to do it. Now it is like you have to follow some kind of secret rule book with all these do’s and don’ts.. and vitamins for an infant… IDK… I just want to know if they are safe.
My question is… has anyone else used these kinds of drops – and have there been any side effects from them?
They have been recommended for breastfed babies for years during the winter months. You may opt to buy nursery water which contains flouride as an alternate
I hear you! what is worse- not giving vitamins they need or once again exposing them to something that could be contaminated? well I decided to use the vitamins because I figured they probably won’t hurt, they could help, and they are made by a reputable manufacturer so they are probably safe.
The worst side effect is the yuck face my daughter makes and that they STAIN. ugh.
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They have been recommended for breastfed babies for years during the winter months. You may opt to buy nursery water which contains flouride as an alternate
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Pediatric Nurse
Yes, it is totally ok!
Are you breastfeeding your little one? That would be the reason for the vitamin D drops. The one thing that breastmilk is lacking a bit of is Vitamin D. Your baby could get this through exposure to sunlight each day, but we all know how hard this can be, and how risky to let a baby lie in the sun! Hence, the drops. It is common place now to give those drops to all breastfed babies. However, it is NOT needed in formula fed babies as the formula has Vitamin D already included.
As for the flouride, I don’t know about that. Our water where I live has flouride…but most babies at that age wouldn’t be drinking anything other than breastmilk/formula anyway….
If you have concerns, I would talk to your dr. Don’t do anything you are not comfortable doing. But I honestly would NOT worry about the vitamin D portion…it at least IS a natural substance, that in the best of us our bodies have a tough time producing.
Take care
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