title: Maternal vitamin D status: effect on milk vitamin D content and vitamin D status of breastfeeding infants.
abstract: There are increasing reports of rickets and vitamin D deficiency worldwide. Breastfeeding without adequate sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation are the major risk factors. In view of the drive to promote and increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding, the relationship among maternal vitamin D status, vitamin D concentration of human milk, and hence vitamin D status of breastfeeding infants deserves reassessment. This review provides current information on the interrelationship between maternal vitamin D status and the vitamin D status of the breastfeeding infant. It also reviews the results of ongoing research on the effect of high-dose maternal vitamin D supplementation alone as a possible option to prevent vitamin D deficiency in the breastfeeding mother-infant dyad.
authors.affiliation: Global Child Health Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. adekunle.dawodu@cchmc.org
authors.forename: Adekunle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dawodu
authors.forename: Reginald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012279:Rickets / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D