Dear Lactnetters:
I found an old reference for vitamin D that may interest you.  I don't
know the name of the magazine, but it is footnoted, and refers to a study
in 1984 in "Medical World News", and one in "Lancet" from 1973.
        "Nursing infants get more vitamin D from mothers taking doses of
sunshine.  It's true.  A half hour of sunshine around noon on a clear
summer day can significantly increase the vitamin D content of human
breast milk for up to two weeks after exposure.
        "The discovery was made by scientists at the Wisconsin Perinatal
Center.  They forund that both mother's blood and breast milk increased
dramatically in vitamin D within 24-48 hours of exposure to sunshine and
remained elevated for seven to 14 days."
        Re: iron.  According to  BF and Human Lactation, as well as BF
for Medical Profession, there is a really good reason to avoid iron
suppliments in infants: e coli bacteria.  They thrive on the free iron in
the gut.  If all the baby gets is breastmilk, there's nothing for this
potentially toxic bacterium to live on.


Margie Forrest,RN,BSN,IBCLC. WPB, Florida