title: Very high vitamin D supplementation rates among infants aged 2 months in Vancouver and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D deficiency during infancy may lead to rickets and possibly other poor health outcomes. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. Breast milk is the best food for infants but does not contain adequate vitamin D. Health Canada recommends all breastfed infants receive a daily vitamin D supplement of 400 IU; however, there appears to be limited current Canadian data as to whether parents or caregivers are following this advice. The aim of this study was to determine the rates of vitamin D supplementation among 2-month old infants in Vancouver and Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers of all healthy infants born between April and May 2010 were approached to participate. Telephone surveys were conducted with 577 mothers (response rate 56%) when their infants turned 2 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over half of the infants received only breast milk in the week prior to the survey. One third received a mixture of breast milk and infant formula and 10% received only formula. About 80% of the infants were supplemented with vitamin D at 2 months. Infants who received only breast milk were most likely to be supplemented with vitamin D (91%). Over 60% of the infants had a total vitamin D intake of 300- < 500 IU/d from supplements and formula and only 5% did not receive any vitamin D. Most parents were advised to give vitamin D supplement by health professionals, such as public health nurses, midwives, and doctors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About 90% of the infants received breast milk at 2 months of age. The vitamin D supplementation rate was 80%. Future studies are needed to monitor breastfeeding duration and vitamin D supplementation rates as infants get older.
authors.affiliation: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crocker
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Susan I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Bridgid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beckingham
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhagat
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dabrowska
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Douthwaite
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evanson
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Friesen
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hydamaka
authors.forename: Wangyang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D