Supplemental Vitamin D for Infants

Updated on January 25, 2012
M.S. asks from Mountain View, CA
37 answers

My doctor recommended 2 months ago to get Vitamin D drops for our baby (3 months old). She said they should be easy to find over-the-counter. I've read this is commonly suggested now based on new research. However, I've gone to multiple pharmacies and no one seems to carry them. In addition, one pharmacy even checked to see if they could order it and their supplier did not carry it. Has anyone been able to find Vitamin D drops to give to their breast-fed infant?

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all of your responses. I haven't been too worried about it as no one told us to do this with my 2 year old, who is fine, and because we go outside as much as possible...but with that said I wasn't sure if that was enough since my doctor still recommended it. I will go and see if I can find the other liquid drops at our local drugstores and double check with the doctor who we seen soon anyways. Thanks again!

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N.A.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi M.,

I am a wellness consultant and the company I represent has the best whole food supplements that even babies can take on a small scale. I started my granddaughter on them at 2 days old. If you want more info email me and I will share.

N. Marie

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S.R.

answers from San Francisco on

We used Tri-Vi-Sol which included 2 other vitamins, C and A I think, and we had little difficulty finding it.

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A.W.

answers from San Francisco on

I found the drops at Walgreens and Kaiser pharmacy. They are enfamil - tir.vi.sol vitamin A,C, and D supplement drops. According to my sister the vitamin A and C help the vitamin D be absorbed into the body. Hope this helps.

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B.A.

answers from Chicago on

Wal-mart pharmacy carries it.

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L.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi M., The doctor told me to give my baby Vitamin D drops too. She gave me a sample of what I should buy. It's Enfamil Tri Vi Sol (Vitamins A, C, and D). This is probably what your doctor means. But when I ran out of the sample, I had a hard time finding this product in stores and ended up buying it online at diapers.com.

Natural sunlight does, of course, give your baby Vitamin D, but I believe our doctor mentioned that exclusively breastfed babies need even more...for bone development.

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S.W.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi M.,
My daughter, now 17 months, took a multi vitamin drop until she was 12-13 months old. It has the daily recommended value of all the important vitamins including D. It might be an option if you can't find just D.
Good luck!

S.

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K.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I found mine at Walgreens.

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S.R.

answers from Sacramento on

Cod Liver oil has vitamin A and D in it so your baby would get the brain healthy omega's and vitamin A&D. Once I started giving it to my son he hasn't really gotten sick. If he does he is barely sick for a day and then all better. Here is a link to brand recommendations of the proper balance of A&D in cod liver oil. Also, you have to be careful of brands that remove the natural vitamin A&D and replace it with toxic synthetic A&D.

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-...

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K.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I bought Vitamin D drops for my daughter at Whole Foods. You can put the drop directly on her pacifier.

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T.S.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi M.,

My son was exclusively breast-fed also, and we also gave him the drops. I'm trying to remember (it was a couple of years ago) but I think what our dr gave us was actually a multi-vitamin drop for infants (mostly vitamin D but some other vitamins as well).

As I'm sure your research has told you, since we no longer wear our babies on our backs as we work in the fields every day, and because we slather them in SPF every time they go outside, they don't have the opportunity to get vitamin D from sunlight. Formulas have a multivatamin mix added to them which is why only breastfed babies need the drops.

Good luck in your search, trying looking for "infant vitamin drops" instead of something specifically labled vitamin D.

Hope this helps.
T.

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L.D.

answers from Modesto on

My dr recommended the same thing for my daughter a month ago, except he recomended Tri Vi Sol (vit D plus two other vitamins). I couldn't find it anywhere and when I asked the pharmacist he said it wasn't made anymore. Poly Vi Sol (vit D plus about 8 other vitamins) is still on the market. Checked with my dr and he said the Poly Vi Sol was fine. It's very important that breastfed children get enough Vit D (and a few other vitamins doesn't hurt!)

G.K.

answers from San Francisco on

Research has been done that as long as your infant gets even 15 minutes of sunlight each day - which is not difficult in the Bay Area - he/she will get PLENTY of Vitamin D. Same with plenty of dairy in mom's diet. My son's pediatrician told me not to worry about it as long as he was getting sun and my dairy intake (through my breastmilk).

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Just simply take your baby outside during the day for a total of a few hours a week and he will make all the Vitamin D he needs and it comes from the best source.

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A.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi M.,

My daughter was also exclusively on breastmilk -- our pediatrician also recommended TriViSol. Couldn't find it easily, so used PolyViSol. BUT, our daughter would just spit it out all over her/us/everything. She never swallowed it, despite many efforts. Even if we tried to "hide" it in food, she'd spit out the food. So we gave up and just made sure she got a little sunlight each day. She's now almost 3 and is very healthy so far. Hope that helps!

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A.P.

answers from Fresno on

My pediatrician prescribed some to us. They are called polyvitamin drops not just vitamin D drops. I know from some of my friends that some insurances don't cover them but they are fairly cheap. If you find them good luck getting your baby to take them. I have tried a couple of times and my son (4 months) just gets mad and spits them on me. For now we just go out in the sun for our vitamin D. I also have a 4 year old and he never took them and is just fine. Both my boys are fall/winter babies and they seemed to get enough sun even in the winter.

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G.K.

answers from San Francisco on

I just bought the generic version at the Kaiser pharmacy at 2200 O'Farrell Street (off Divisadero & St. Josephs). Normally get the TriViSol brand but the pharmacist said that with the news coverage on Vitamin D, demand was so great that they ran out super fast hence the generic version available for purchase.

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C.V.

answers from Sacramento on

I don't think there is vit D drops available on the market. Get Tri-Vi-Sol that contains vit A,D, E over the counter.

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J.O.

answers from San Francisco on

I'm sure this isn't helpful, but my mother lives near Canada and had no trouble finding vitamin D drops for infants there. She sent me some last spring when my breastfed baby was already a few months old and already getting outside quite a bit, so I didn't use them much. Our pediatrician prescribed the tri-vi-sol.
Mostly though, for vitamin D, I have just relaxed about having a baby out in the sun. My baby is fair skinned and still nearly bald at 12 months, so I think he probably gets adequate D from being outside for at least a few minutes most days.

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Cypress Natural Medicine has them in Palo Alto.

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D.R.

answers from Fresno on

Hi M.,

This is interesting that the dr suggested that you give your baby a vitamin D...Never heard of that dr suggesting that to my 4 kids. What you can do is that poly vitamins has vitamin d and also the formula has vitamin d. Since you are breastfeeding your baby, you can get vitamin D for your self since it can go through your breastmilk to pass onto your baby. I've never seen infant vitamin D itself. The poly vitamin has vitamin D in it and it is liquid with the dropper. Try that. Good luck and congrats on your new baby.

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N.N.

answers from Fresno on

For my daughter I was able to find vitamin D drops in liquid form. It is called Tri-Vi Sol. It is a three vitamin solution. I was able to purchase mine at at Walgreens over the counter. You should be able to get it at Rite Aide too. Good luck!

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D.G.

answers from San Francisco on

Kaiser carries them in their pharmacy and they are Poly D vitamins.

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H.W.

answers from San Francisco on

My ped. brought this up, but told me that if I had enough dairy in my diet, and if baby was outside (even in the car) just a bit every day, we would be fine. Just something else to consider...

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G.B.

answers from Boise on

You need to watch out for liquid vit D that has soy added to it. You don't want or need added soy. Soy is estrogenetic,which means it mimics the female hormone estrogen. Estrogen can cause masculenization of females and feminization of males, especially in utero or on infants.

Cod Liver Oil is a good supplement for you to consider. It has vit D and also is a most excellent source of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is epsecially needed if a child is prone to ear infections, or has had rsv, viruses, pnemonia or pox. Vitamin A feeds the thymus gland, wich is central to the immune system. I don't think you can go wrong using cod liver oil for your vit D needs. Look it up on the web.

Ps...do not give your baby floride or vitamins with floride. If your city water is floridated, buy spring water or maybe get a reverse osmosis water system. . Look this up on the web: "Floride is a POISON."

Blessings,
Gail

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T.H.

answers from Sacramento on

My doctor recommended that I get Tri-vi-sol (three vitamin solution) to supplement for vitamin D. My local pharmacy only had poly-vi-sol, so I asked them to special order it and it arrived within two days. I hope that helps.

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J.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi M.,
I asked my peditrician about Vit. D drops as well when my son was about the same age. The handout at the well check from Kaiser recommended it. She said don't bother, that since we live in a sunny area and take our kids for walks, they get enough that way. I never bothered and my son is now 1 year old and been breastfeed since birth and seems fine! Good luck in finding your answer.

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C.D.

answers from San Francisco on

I have not seen them in any stores, but I got a prescription from my Ped for them, call him back and ask for a prescription. Our supplement is a mix of Vit C, A and fluoride which may be too much for your 3 month old, but I would still ask about a prescription

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D.T.

answers from San Francisco on

M., i used to be the sales rep for Biotics Research supplements - sold to Dr's not stores and it is perfect for children. it is 400iu -so 1 drop each day. i give it to my 18 month old who is still breast feeding. i supplement too though - that is the reason breast milk is deficient - b/c we are too! If you live in Marin you can go to Pediatric Alternatives in mill valley and purchase some. it is very reasonably priced and is of superior quality! email me if you want me to find another dr closer to you who sells it. i was the rep for southern cal. not northern, so i would call the company for you.

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J.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Most drug stores have Enfamil Tri-Vi-Sol. If not, you can order it online through retailers such as walgreens.com, drugstore.com or diapers.com.

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K.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Both my boys take Shaklee brand multi vitamins and because of this, I am giving them supplemental vit D along with other helpful nutrients. My youngest started having the powder vits in his cereal at 4 months old. Otherwise he was (and still is) breast fed.

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L.E.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi M., I have a 3 month old boy, and doctor told us to get Poly-vi-Sol which is a multi-vitamin containing Vitamin D. Maybe ask your Dr. if that would work....

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E.T.

answers from San Francisco on

My dr. gives my daughter (nine months) RX Choice poly vitamin drops because I am nursing her. It contains vitamin D. But U have to get prescription from your dr.

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G.D.

answers from Modesto on

VITAMIN D & INFANTS:

http://www.aap.org/pressroom/nce/nce08vitamind.htm

http://www.sunlightvitamins.com/About_Just_D.php

Just make sure it does not contain any FLOURIDE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFAEClG6Ppo

http://poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/prozac.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ys9q1cvKGk

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

"I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport

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J.S.

answers from Sacramento on

I gave my son Poly-Vi-Sol and bought it at Longs and Safeway.

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J.C.

answers from Sacramento on

We have Kaiser and they have them in the pharmacy - it's a multivitamin with D included

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W.M.

answers from Sacramento on

M.,
you might want to try the health food stores instead, they carry a wide variety of liquid vitamins. If you need info on which ones are local, or that I go to, feel free to contact me.
W. m.

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D.A.

answers from San Francisco on

Try Rite Aid or Longs Drugs. I usually get it at Longs Drugs and it's behind the pharmacy counter. Tri Va Sol.
Good Luck.

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