Resume: Only 1 in 3 babies enrolled in the government’s WIC program receives the RDA for vitamin D, a new study reports. Vitamin D deficiency plays a role in a number of disorders, including rickets, multiple sclerosis, and type 2 diabetes.
Source: university of ga
Most babies enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC, probably don’t get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
The researchers found that only one in three infants enrolled in WIC met the daily recommendation by 13 months of age. But that shouldn’t be surprising, given the low rate of infant supplementation in the general US population.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets, a disease that softens and weakens bones, which can lead to fractures, growth retardation, and skeletal deformities.
Recent research has also shown that the vitamin may play a role in diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.
Experts recommend that babies get 10 micrograms, or 400 international units, of vitamin D each day. Posted in Journal of Nutritional Education and BehaviorThe study looked at data collected from more than 2,300 babies who participated in WIC during the first year of life.
To reach that recommendation, most breastfed babies require vitamin D supplementation, since the amount in breast milk is low. The formula is fortified with vitamin D, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics specifically recommends supplementation for breastfed babies. But babies have to drink about 32 ounces or a liter of formula a day to reach the recommended amount, which is difficult in the first few months of life when babies don’t eat much.
According to the study, only 6% to 12% of babies enrolled in WIC received vitamin D supplementation during their first year of life. And less than half of formula-fed babies and only 7% of breastfed babies who don’t receive vitamin D supplementation meet the recommendation at some point during their first year of life.
“There is a critical need for sufficient amounts of vitamin D, especially during infancy and childhood, when children develop bone mass,” said Sina Gallo, lead author of the study and associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. .
“Vitamin D supplementation should be synonymous with breastfeeding. Regardless of whether you are exclusively or partially breastfeeding, babies will need vitamin D supplements to meet their needs. This study also suggests that exclusively formula-fed infants may need additional vitamin D.”
Lack of education, cost may affect rates of vitamin D supplementation
Experts have recommended vitamin D supplementation for breastfed babies for decades. The American Academy of Pediatrics increased its recommendation from 200 IU to the current standard in 2008.
But Gallo said parents may not get information from their health care providers. Recent studies have shown that as few as 36% of healthcare providers counsel their patients about vitamin D deficiency and supplementation.
“Parents may not know this is a problem, and we know that their doctors don’t constantly tell them to take supplements,” Gallo said.
“When I did a study like this in Canada, we found that about 75% of babies were receiving vitamin D supplementation. In the US, it’s less than 30% nationally. But I think it’s something we need to look at: Why is there so little adherence to the recommendation in the United States?”
Another hurdle for low-income moms: WIC doesn’t cover supplemental vitamin D drops, which can be purchased over the counter at most pharmacies. But Medicaid does if the drops are prescribed by a health care provider.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize that the drops are a Medicaid-approved drug,” Gallo said. “And paying for drops out of pocket can be a significant cost for families, especially if they have lower incomes.”
Integrated approach to nutrition education could benefit babies and mothers
Education about the importance of vitamin D supplementation is critical, Gallo said. But it will take an integrated approach with health care providers, WIC resources and nutrition experts to get the message across.
“Once someone gives birth in the hospital, maybe that’s when a prescription for supplements should be withheld for the baby,” Gallo said. “Then after they get out, their pediatrician follows up with them to see if they received the vitamin D supplement. And when they go to the WIC clinic, they are told about the importance of a supplement, the types of supplements available and how to give it to them. to your baby”.
The study was co-authored by Yu Wang, a doctoral student in the Department of Statistics; Xianyan Chen, associate director of the UGA Statistical Consulting Center at Franklin College; and Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa, associate professor in the School of Public Health.
Other co-authors include Jaime Gahche of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, and Panagiota Kitsantas and Priyal Makwana of George Mason University.
About this vitamin d deficiency research news
Author: Cole Sosebee
Source: university of ga
Contact: Cole Sosebee – University of Georgia
Image: The image is in the public domain.
original research: Closed access.
“Vitamin D Intake and Meeting Recommendations Among Infants Participating in WIC Nationally” by Sina Gallo et al. Journal of Nutritional Education and Behavior
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Vitamin D Intake and Meeting Recommendations Among Infants Participating in WIC Nationally
Goal
To report and examine associations with childhood vitamin D intake and adherence to recommendations among a national sample participating in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
Design
Secondary Analysis of the 2013–2015-2 WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study.
Participants
US infants
Measured variables
Reported total vitamin D intake from diet and supplementation at the time of data collection.
Analysis
Descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations.
Results
Median total vitamin D intake ranged from 5.43 (95% confidence interval, 5.40–5.46) mcg/d at month 1 to 8.18 (95% confidence interval, 8 .11–8.20) mcg/d at month 13, from 16% to 36%. of infants who met the vitamin D recommendation for infants during that time. Overall, between 6% and 12% of all participants reported supplementation at all time points.
Although the majority (78% to 98%) of supplemented breastfed infants met the recommendation, very few were supplemented as a group. Thus, breastfed infants were less likely to meet the recommendation than those who were formula-fed at time points except month 1 (P < 0.001 for all).
While the infant’s age, type of feeding and/or their interaction were significant predictors of both receiving supplements and complying with the recommendation, the nativity of the mother/caregiver (P = 0.006) and parity (P = 0.01 and P < 0.001) predicted receiving supplements and child sex (P< 0.001) and race/ethnicity of the mother/caregiver (P< 0.001) predicted to meet the recommendation.
Conclusions and consequences
Among a national sample of infants who participated in WIC between 2013 and 2015, a high proportion did not meet the current recommendation for vitamin D. The WIC program is a resource to promote strategies to increase the number of American infants who meet the D recommendations. , but a coordinated approach involving other health care providers is likely to be needed.
Future research exploring the reason for lack of supplementation is warranted, both from the perspective of parents and providers and the clinical impact of low vitamin D intake.
