Babies grow and change rapidly, especially during their first year of life. Infants require specific vitamins for proper growth and development. The decision to give your infant a vitamin supplement depends on several factors. Breast-fed infants may require additional vitamin supplementation compared with formula-fed infants to ensure adequate intake of certain nutrients.
Supplements
During their first six months of life, infants typically receive all of their daily nutrient requirements from fortified infant formula, breast milk or a combination of the two. Because breast milk is typically low in vitamin D, most pediatricians recommend that breast-fed babies receive a daily liquid vitamin D supplement. Breast milk may also be low in iron; therefore, some pediatricians recommend that you give your breast-fed baby an iron supplement or iron-fortified infant cereals after the first six months of life. Fortified infant formulas usually contain all the essential vitamins and minerals infants need.
Vitamin D Requirements
In 2008, American Dietetic Association vitamin D recommendations for healthy infants and children increased from 200 IU per day to 400 IU per day. A dose of 400 IU of vitamin D is the same as 10 mcg.
Birth to Six Months
You should follow these daily dietary reference intakes for your infant from birth to six months of age: 400 mcg of vitamin A, 10 mcg of vitamin D, 40 mg of vitamin C, 2 mcg of vitamin K, 4 mg of vitamin E, 0.1 mg of vitamin B6, 2 mg of niacin, 0.3 mg of riboflavin, 0.2 mg of thiamine, 65 mcg of folate, 0.4 mcg of vitamin B12, 125 mg of choline, 1.7 mg of pantothenic acid and 5 mcg of biotin. Most infant formulas provide vitamins sufficient to meet these dietary reference intakes without the use of supplementation. With the exception of vitamin D and possibly iron, breast milk also meets vitamin requirements for infants ages birth to six months.
Six to Twelve Months
If your infant is six to twelve months old, you should follow these daily intake guidelines: 500 mcg of vitamin A, 10 mcg of vitamin D, 50 mg of vitamin C, 2.5 mcg of vitamin K, 5 mg of vitamin E, 0.3 mg of vitamin B6, 4 mg of niacin, 0.4 mg of riboflavin, 0.3 mg of thiamine, 80 mcg of folate, 0.5 mcg of vitamin B12, 150 mg of choline, 1.8 mg of pantothenic acid and 6 mcg of biotin. You can usually meet these vitamin requirements by giving your infant formula or breast milk and a wide variety of pureed and solid baby foods. Some pediatricians also encourage the use of an infant multivitamin supplement, especially for picky eaters.
Minerals
Minerals, or elements, are also essential daily nutrients for your infant's proper growth and development. Based on the Institute of Medicine's guidelines, essential minerals for infants include iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, calcium, chromium, copper, fluoride, molybdenum, zinc, selenium, phosphorous, potassium, chloride and sodium.
