title: Vitamin D supplementation during lactation to support infant and mother.
abstract: How human milk as the ideal infant nutrition lacks vitamin D activity leading to the severe bony deformities and muscle weakness of rickets has stymied scientists and clinicians for centuries. Recent understanding of human vitamin D requirements based on functional indicators of vitamin D activity demonstrate that the majority of humans, including lactating mothers, subsist in a vitamin D insufficient state. In this state, human milk provides inadequate vitamin D supply to the nursing infant. In contrast, with achieving maternal vitamin D sufficiency, human milk attains vitamin D activity equivalent to present infant oral supplementation. Current investigation of the role of vitamin D in diseases beyond bone health is revealing the significance of early life vitamin D sufficiency in establishing lifelong health.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina Darby Children's Research Institute, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA. taylorse@musc.edu
authors.forename: Sarah N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Bruce W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Hollis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects; D001942:Breast Feeding; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009035:Mothers; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D012279:Rickets / Q000517:prevention & control; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D