The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that nursing babies receive 400 IU of vitamin D per day as supplementation to the milk they’re receiving from their mother.
Vitamin D supplementation is not something I was prepared for upon my first pediatric visit. Isn’t my milk designed to provide my son with exactly what he needs? Haven’t people been feeding their babies milk for thousands of years without additional vitamins? Well, yes and no. Mother’s milk is perfect for babies! It provides the calories, fat and nutrients to help babies grow big and strong. However, humans primarily get their vitamin D from sun exposure and most of us (wisely) shield our little ones from the sun with a variety of color-coordinated accessories (sun-shirt!). In some parts of the world, there is very little sunlight.
Bridget Lives Free 