No wonder we can't decide what to believe. Consider a recent article about rickets, a bone disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. We're almost surprised that the infant formula makers didn't blame rickets on breast-feeding. Rickets remains rare, despite the cases described in the Pediatrics article and in a similar article in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Adequate amounts of vitamin D prevent rickets.
Vitamin D is found in fish liver oils and egg yolks.
Even so, the authors write that breast milk and sunlight exposure provide sufficient vitamin D for most babies. They also suggest that doctors talk to parents to make sure nutritional needs are met, and that health food beverages that look like milk carry a warning that they're not intended for toddlers. Karen Shideler writes about health. Inc. All rights reserved.