Nutrition for the pediatric office: update on vitamins, infant feeding and food allergies.
OBJECTIVE
Advances in the field of pediatric nutrition continue to help the pediatric office practitioner provide excellent clinical care to their patients. In 2003, several important papers were published in the field of clinical nutrition that are reviewed.


RESULTS
New recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics for vitamin D supplementation for breast-fed infants have been published that underscore the importance of routine supplementation with 200 IU vitamin D per day. Vitamin K should be provided (0.5 to 1 mg intramuscularly) to all newborns. The authors also review original reports evaluating the role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formulas, the duration of exclusive breast-feeding, and the natural history of food allergies. Some observational studies support exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months. Data concerning the efficacy of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are conflicting but do support the safety of these additives.


CONCLUSIONS
Regular supplementation with vitamin D, and newborn provision of vitamin K, are important nutritional interventions for infants and children.
Collier
Sharon
S
Clinical Nutrition Service, Division of GI/Nutrition, Children's Hospital, Boston, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Fulhan
Jill
J
Duggan
Christopher
C
D000293:Adolescent; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000502:physiology; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D021183:Peanut Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D012279:Rickets / Q000517:prevention & control; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D014812:Vitamin K; D014807:Vitamin D