When you are breastfeeding, you should be aware of the vitamins and minerals you are taking in. However, vitamin D is a bit different. It is well-known by health professionals that vitamin D, no matter how much the mother gets, is provided only in small amounts in breast milk. Both the mother and infant need a specific amount of vitamin D, getting too much may be harmful.
A Breastfeeding Woman's Needs
There are many vitamins and minerals that women who are either pregnant or breastfeeding need in greater quantities than women who are not pregnant or nursing. However, this is not the case for vitamin D. Pregnant and nursing women need to get 600 IU of vitamin D per day, recommends the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Your Infant's Needs
Breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D to meet your growing baby's needs. Breast milk contains only about 25 IU of vitamin D per liter. It is for this reason that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend adding a vitamin D supplement to your baby's diet. Nursing infants should be taking a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU per day.
Vitamin D Toxicity In Adults
Vitamin D toxicity is very rare in adults. Your body makes the vitamin D it needs by absorbing rays from sunlight. When your body makes the vitamin D it needs, it stops producing it. The only way you might get too much vitamin D is by taking a supplement, as dietary sources do not contain even enough to meet your needs. However, if too much vitamin D is taken, it results in a treatable condition known as hypervitaminosis D. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, no appetite, weakness, constipation, arrhythmias and kidney stones. Treatment involves stopping vitamin D supplementation and also reducing calcium intake.
Vitamin D Toxicity in Infants
Vitamin D toxicity in infancy can occur if too large of a supplement is given. This condition can result in hospitalization, mainly from complications of the overdose. When your vitamin D content is high, it may also elevate your calcium content because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. An excess of vitamin D in an infant may cause hypercalcemia and hypertension as well as the symptoms of hypervitaminosis D.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health: Vitamin D
- Centers For Disease Control; Breastfeeding: Recommendations: Vitamin D Supplementation; October 20, 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin D Toxicity: What If I Get Too Much?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; December 11, 2010
- "Pediatrics"; Acute Vitamin D Intoxication in a Child; Fermin Barrueto Jr,, MD, et al.; March 2005
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