In a recent study published in nutrition journalresearchers evaluated compliance with vitamin D supplementation in breastfed infants (12 months and younger) and children (12 months and older).
Canada’s dietary policy recommends that breastfed newborns and infants receive 400 IU (10 μg) of vitamin D daily to maintain optimal vitamin D levels. The conservative approach is due to the low vitamin D content in breast milk and the limited food sources in the diet of a breastfed newborn and her child who continues to breastfeed for more than 12 months. . Certain foods are rich in vitamin D, such as infant formula and cow’s milk. However, infants from 1 to 3 years of age are not given enough nutrition. Use of vitamin D supplements is highest in the Western Region, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories.
study: Adherence to vitamin D supplementation recommendations for breastfed infants and young children: Analysis of the 2015-2018 Canadian Regional Health Survey data cycle.. Image credit: HTeam / Shutterstock
About research
This study investigated compliance and frequency of vitamin D administration to partially or exclusively breastfed infants.
The primary goal was to describe the prevalence and frequency of vitamin D supplement intake in breastfed infants aged <1.0 years. A secondary goal was to evaluate the use of vitamin D supplements in breastfed individuals after the first year of life. Researchers also investigated sociodemographic characteristics that influence adherence to vitamin D supplements to inform national health policy.
The researchers looked at Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data from 2015-16 and 2017-18, as well as maternal experience data for breastfed children born between 2012 and 2018. During the study, data from mothers of children born in 2010 and 2011 were excluded. Mothers with infants under 6 months old. We also excluded infants born between 2012 and 2018 because there was insufficient data on breastfeeding and vitamin D administration frequency.
Researchers obtained CCHS data by telephone and in person, with the possibility of in-person follow-up later. They collected data on maternal experiences (including breastfeeding habits and vitamin D supplementation) from female respondents aged 15 to 55 who gave birth to a baby between 2010 and 2018. They looked at whether children frequently took vitamin D supplements and their supplementation.
The research team analyzed weighted data based on breastfeeding history: continued breastfeeding for 6 months, partial breastfeeding for 6 months, continued and discontinued for less than 6 months. They utilized multivariate logistic regression to adjust for maternal age, body mass index (BMI), race, ethnicity, education, place of residence, household income, source of income, and immigration status to determine the study’s odds ratios ( OR) was calculated.
result
The average age of the mothers was 31 years. The percentage of mothers who exclusively breastfed their infant for more than 6 months was 40% (n=2,752), while the percentage of mothers who practiced and continued to partially breastfeed for 6 months was 31% ( n=2,133). The proportion of mothers who stopped breastfeeding after 6 months was 29% (n=2,194).
Of the participants, 87% reported providing vitamin D supplements to their children (12 months and younger): 83% daily or almost daily, 12% once or twice a week, and 4.30% was less than once a week. . Participants who had stopped nursing for less than 6 months had lower education and income, were new immigrants, and had higher pre-pregnancy BMI, and were less likely to be adherent after adjustment. Probability of compliance was higher in western states. Fifty-eight percent (n = 2,312) of participants who breastfed their infants over a 12-month period gave their infants vitamin D supplements daily or nearly daily.
This study showed that the proportion of mothers who fully or partially breastfed their children until 6 months and continued to give them vitamin D supplements was higher than mothers who stopped breastfeeding before 6 months. Infants who stopped breastfeeding within 6 months were more likely to take vitamin D supplements, with 88% taking vitamin D supplements by 12 months of age.
In 2015, more mothers provided vitamin D tablets than in 2012, especially in the Western region. The likelihood of supplementing vitamin D to infants under 12 months of age was associated with: breastfeeding having ceased before 6 months, younger maternal age, being unmarried, unmarried, lower educational attainment, indigenous identity; Depends on maternal variables such as high BMI, recent migration, and living in: Atlantic region, below median income. Children born between 2015 and 2017 and living in the West had higher adjusted odds of adherence.
This study showed that breastfed infants had high compliance with vitamin D supplementation, while 27% of mothers were non-compliant. Adherence declines over her 12 months, so further marketing may be needed, especially for new immigrant mothers or mothers from lower socio-economic levels. Less than 60% of breastfed children continue to receive vitamin D supplements beyond the first year of life. Nevertheless, 87% of women supplement with vitamin D throughout the first year of life, and 90% of newborns are partially or fully breastfed from their 6th month onwards. Breastfeeding cessation, adjusted household income below the median, poor educational attainment, high BMI, and recent immigration to Canada are associated with decreased compliance.