What I find puzzling about the Vitamin D information is this: I live in
Ontario, Canada, and the current recommendations here are that all breastfed
babies need Vitamin D supplementation from birth because we can't get enough
from sunlight during the winter. All four of my children were exclusively
breastfed for at least six months, with no supplementation. I made no
particular effort to get them out in the sun and they were definitely
covered up most of the time in the winter. As a La Leche League Leader for
25 years, I know of literally thousands of mothers and babies who followed
similar patterns - exclusive breastfeeding, no supplementation, no
particular effort to expose them to the sun. Yet NONE of them were diagnosed
with rickets or or the less severe forms of vitamin D deficiency.

Even in the most recent study reported by the Canadian Pediatric Society,
the number of babies actually found to have Vitamin D deficiency of some
level was very small. And the risk factors for the babies were easily
identified: dark skin, mothers who were covered most of the time, usually
for religious reasons.

If supplementation is necessary, why have I not seen many more babies with
Vitamin D deficiency problems? Even if I accept that some of the problems
will show up later in life, surely I should have seen some babies with the
more serious problems.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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