Rickets: Is breastfeeding really to blame?
Another news article has been written that claims that rising breastfeeding rates are to blame for an increase in cases of rickets, and that all breastfed babies should be supplemented with vitamin D. I find this problematic for a number of reasons. First, it makes no biological sense. Breastmilk is the perfectly designed food for babies – it shouldn’t need to be supplemented. Second, while breastfeeding rates are improving, they are still pretty pitiful. Third, rickets is primarily a problem in darker-skinned individuals living in northern latitudes, so recommending supplementation across the board is unnecessary. So, if breastfeeding isn’t to blame, what is the cause? Largely it is due to individuals not receiving enough sunlight. Our society has become so sun-phobic that we cover up and slather on SPF 50 sunscreen every time we head outdoors. For fair skinned people, it really doesn’t take much time outside; a little over 15 minutes a day, without a hat or sunscreen, is sufficient. Dark skinned people need to spend more time outdoors to get the same effect; the problem is nobody has ever studied how much more time is needed. The other potential problem is an inadequate supply of vitamin D in the mother. Normally, babies are born with a store of vitamin D in their liver. But if mom is deficient, then baby may start off deficient as well.
If you’d like to read some more accurate information on vitamin D supplementation, breastfeeding and rickets, I suggest you check out the information on Kellymom’s website. There is an excellent discussion of the subject there, as well as links to a number of helpful resources.
