News/Commentary

A new study from the Institute of Medicine recommends that children get 400 mg. of Vitamin D a day, double the previously recommended amount.

Many kids don’t even get the minimum, experts say, and Vitamin D is believed to offer protection against serious diseases.

Here are tips to help you be sure your kids get the right amount from Nancy Shute, who writes the magazine’s Parenting blog.

US NEWS and WORLD REPORT

“I’ve written more than a few stories on how Americans are by and large lacking in Vitamin D, but wow, was I unprepared for what I heard when I asked Frank Greer how many babies get enough Vitamin D: “If it’s 30 percent, I’d be surprised.”

“Greer should know; he leads the American Academy of Pediatrics’ committee on nutrition, which just doubled its recommendation for daily Vitamin D intake in children from 200 to 400 IU a day. The docs were concerned that many children, particularly young babies, aren’t getting enough Vitamin D, which is essential for absorbing calcium from food and building bones. New evidence suggests that D also plays a vital role in the immune system, and might help protect against cancer and diabetes.

“But how could so many American babies be missing out on this vital nutrient? Here’s the deal: Many new mothers are Vitamin D deficient themselves, and can’t deliver enough D to their babies while breastfeeding. Formula has enough Vitamin D to meet the pediatricians’ goals. But moms who think they are doing the right thing nutritionally be breastfeeding need to give their babies supplemental vitamins, starting right after birth.”