MONDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Infants, children and adolescents should receive double the currently recommended daily intake of vitamin D, according to a new clinical report -- "Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents" -- presented at the 2008 National Conference and Exhibition of the American Academy of Pediatrics held Oct. 11 to 14 in Boston.
Frank Greer, M.D., chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics National Committee on Nutrition, and colleagues reviewed recent vitamin D trials and cited data demonstrating the safety of giving higher amounts of vitamin D to the pediatric population.
The new recommendations update 2003 guidelines, which called for 200 IU per day beginning in the first two months of life. They recommend supplementation of 400 IU per day in breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants beginning in the first few days of life, as well as in non-breast-fed infants and older children with an intake of less than one quart per day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk. They also recommend supplementation of 400 IU per day in adolescents who do not obtain 400 IU of vitamin D per day through foods.
"We are doubling the recommended amount of vitamin D children need each day because evidence has shown this could have life-long health benefits," Greer said in a statement. "Supplementation is important because most children will not get enough vitamin D through diet alone."
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