Why do some mothers give vitamin supplement to their newborn babies? – It is customary for some mothers to routinely give their newborn babies vitamin supplements despite the baby being exclusively breastfed or receiving infant formula feeding. They believe that newborn babies need vitamin supplement in addition to whatever they get from breast milk or formula feeding in order to stay healthy.

Do newborn children really need vitamin supplementation?

No. Healthy, term babies being breastfed or on infant formula feeding generally do not need routine vitamin supplementation. This is because breast milk and infant formula feeds have enough vitamins, in addition to the nutrients and water it contains.

Also, infant formula feeds have been fortified with vitamins appropriate for the age of the child. However, some conditions may warrant vitamin supplementation in newborn babies. These include:

1. Babies born in temperate region: In this case, the mother may not have enough vitamin D storage due to limited sunlight exposure. Such babies may therefore need vitamin D supplementation. Formula-fed babies have an advantage here because the infant formula feeding has enough vitamin D for newborn babies on formula feeding.
2. Regions deficient in vitamin A: In areas where vitamin A is deficient, its supplementation may be necessary for children less than 6 months.
3. Premature babies: Iron supplementation may be necessary for premature babies, as they may not have built up enough iron store for adequate red blood cell production before birth; therefore, resulting in anaemia of prematurity. Also, for children on exclusive breastfeeding, their iron store may be depleted by the time they are four months and more. Thus, iron supplementation is recommended from 4 months of life. This is because the iron content of breast milk is too little to sustain normal blood level for babies in that category.

Do children need vitamin supplementation when they transition to solid foods?

As exclusively breastfed babies transition to solid foods around 6 months of age, introducing variety of foods rich in different nutrients will ensure they continue to receive all the vitamins and minerals they need without the need for supplementation. These include: whole grains, protein-rich foods such as eggs, meat, milk etc, vegetables and fruits.