Keeping your newborn healthy

There's a good reason many new moms try to keep their babies from being exposed to a lot of people until they are a bit older. Those people are bound to carry viruses and if it happens to be RSV, it can be deadly. I know people who have had newborns in the hospital and on respirators because they contracted RSV. It's just not worth it-especially if your baby is born during cold and flu season. Here's one thing you can do to prevent your baby from getting RSV.

FROM NBC: Pregnant women who take vitamin D can prevent a respiratory illness in newborns called RSV. That's the finding of a new study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study suggests that out of the 5-million RSV cases every year in the United States, a million fewer kids would get the respiratory virus if more pregnant moms took vitamin D supplements.

Mikensi Gilbert is six months pregnant. She's been taking vitamin D supplements for this pregnancy. Mikensi Gilbert/Expectant Mom: "It helps with fatigue. It helps with, um, energy." Her first pregnancy was tough. so her mom, who reads a lot of medical studies, recommended she boost her vitamin D intake. Mikensi Gilbert/Expectant Mom: "She knows that I had a difficult time with jae with my pregnancy. I think she was just thinking of me."

Gilbert had gestational diabetes with her son, Jae. This time she's expecting a smoother pregnancy. Mikensi Gilbert/Expectant Mom: "Just had our ultrasound reports read to me yesterday and everything's good. He's healthy. He's growing like he should."

She hopes by taking vitamin D, she can keep him from getting RSV once he's born. Dr. Marcus Blackburn/Pediatrician: "Vitamin D plays a large role in very many systems of the body." Dr. Marcus Blackburn says as for how effective vitamin D is in preventing RSV, it's hard to say. Dr. Marcus Blackburn/Pediatrician: "It's very common. Most children are going to get it by the time they're two. All kids have been exposed to it."

The symptoms mimic a cold. And Blackburn says taking vitamin D may just reduce the severity of RSV in infants. "Vitamin D is not the cure-all for respiratory and other health problems, but doctor's say it's still very important for overall health. just how much to take, though, is still up for debate."

Dr. Marcus Blackburn/Pediatrician: "Right now in this study they quote it as 400 international units. so, that's the same as a newborn child. Although there have been studies that have shown up to four thousand international units. Vitamin D is something that you can have toxicity from so that's something that we're still working out." Blackburn recommends all pregnant women check with their doctor on how much vitamin D to take along with other prenatal vitamins.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Babies need more Vitamin D

I finally got some liquid Vitamin D for the baby. I am only giving it to him on the days he doesn't go outside. Hopefully that will be very few days with Spring here! My other boys are also getting a supplement. I am not a big vitamin person, but I have seen a lot of research on the lack of vitamin D in kids-- and it's coming from groups that typically have differing views. I am still breastfeeding, so my baby is probably getting less vitamin D than a formula fed baby. New research shows even formula fed infants may need a vitamin D supplement! Do you give your baby a vitamin D supplement?

FROM HEALTH.COM/CNN: (Health.com) -- The vast majority of infants in the U.S. are not getting the vitamin D that they need, even if they are fed vitamin-enriched formula, a new study has found.

Roughly 9 out of 10 breast-fed babies receive less vitamin D than experts recommend, according to the study, which was conducted by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among formula-fed babies, fewer than 37 percent consume the recommended amount.

It is well-known that breast-fed infants are at risk for vitamin D deficiency. But the study findings suggest that most babies will require a supplement regardless of how they're fed.

"We have to educate moms and the health-care community that vitamin D supplementation is something that they should do [and] recommend," says the lead author of the study, Cria Perrine, Ph.D., of the CDC's division of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity.

The study, published this week in the journal Pediatrics, comes amid growing awareness of the extent - and the health risks - of vitamin D deficiency in both children and adults. Known as the sunshine vitamin, because the human body produces it when exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, a strong immune system, and a range of other bodily processes.

In children, too little vitamin D has been associated with bone softness and an increased risk of heart disease later in life, among other health problems. In 2008, the nation's leading organization of pediatricians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, doubled its recommendation for the amount of vitamin D that infants and children should consume daily, from 200 to 400 international units.

Health.com: The most important nutrient you're not getting

"Most infants will require a vitamin D supplement to reach the new AAP recommendations, while in the past we only thought that breast-fed infants would need supplementation," says Perrine. "Formula-fed infants would need to consume a liter of formula a day to meet the new recommendations, and most infants don't do that - especially those who are being fed with both formula and breast milk."

New mothers should discuss vitamin D supplements with their pediatricians, Perrine adds. (Although it takes just 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure for the body to produce a day's worth of vitamin D, the AAP discourages sun exposure for infants younger than 6 months, and advises the use of sunscreen after that.)

Health.com: Why you need vitamin D now

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Before You Buy Children's Vitamins

If you read this blog, you know I can't seem to decide whether to give my kids vitamins. There is so much information on both sides of the argument. Here's the latest version from About.com to help you make an informed decision.

Most children do not need supplemental vitamins or minerals. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a diet based on the Food Guide Pyramid provides adequate amounts of all the vitamins a child needs. Still, there are situations where children's vitamins are necessary, especially if your child is a very picky eater or has a poor diet, that doesn't include a lot of iron rich foods. Some vegetarians may also need vitamins to meet all of their nutritional needs.(My son hates veggies, so I am confident he is missing some nutrients, but then again he eats a ton of fruit. I just don't know. I think I need a vitamin test or something.)

According to new AAP recommendations, exclusively breastfed infants should receive 200 IU of Vitamin D each day. Older children who don't drink at least 500ml (about 17 ounces) of Vitamin D fortified milk will also need Vitamin D supplements if they don't get regular sunlight exposure.

Children and adolescents need the mineral iron to prevent anemia. Those most at risk of iron deficiency are infants who are not given extra iron after six months of age (usually in the form of an iron fortified infant cereal), and babies who drink low-iron formula, cow's milk or goats milk. Good sources or iron include meats, fish, legumes, and fortified foods, such as breads and cereals. Adolescent girls are also at risk of anemia once they begin having their periods.

Calcium is another important mineral, and it is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. Children who drink milk and eat dairy products, such as yogurt, ice cream and cheese, usually get enough calcium from their diet. Children with milk allergies or who just don't like milk are a little more of a challenge to meet these requirements, but it is still easy if you find other foods high in calcium, such as calcium fortified orange juice. Vitamins, even those with extra calcium, generally only have about 200mg, or 20% of daily requirements, so you usually also need to supplement these vitamins with foods labeled 'High in Calcium'.

Most children get enough fluoride to build healthy teeth if they are drinking fluoridated water, either from tap water in a city that adds fluoride to the water, or bottled water that also has added fluoride. Since too much fluoride can cause staining of your child's teeth, talk with your Pediatrician or Dentist before giving your child fluoride supplements.

Multivitamins for infants are available as drops and usually contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D. They may also have added iron and other vitamins and minerals, such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin E.

Multivitamins for older children are usually given as a chewable tablet. Finding your child's favorite character may make taking vitamins easy and fun.

Keep in mind that many 'complete' multivitamins do not have all of the recommended amounts of the vitamins and minerals that your child needs each day and most don't have enough calcium.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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