Does my baby need to take vitamin D?

Does my baby need to take vitamin D?The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a daily 400 IU vitamin D supplement for all breast-fed babies and babies drinking less than 32 ounces of formula a day.

The goal is to avoid rickets, a condition that causes brittle and deformed bones and retards growth, says Dr. Ronald Marino, associate chairman of pediatrics at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

"Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. It's made in the skin when we're exposed to sunlight," he says. "If you're formula feeding, your baby is getting plenty of vitamin D because it's added to the formula."

But if you are breast-feeding, you should give your newborn to 6-month-old the combined liquid vitamin A, C and D formulation because moms don't produce enough vitamin D through breast milk, Marino says. Vitamin D is sold in combination with A and C.

Don't interpret this as a suggestion babies be exposed to sunlight, Marino warns. Babies younger than 6 months old shouldn't be in the sun due to the risk of sunburn and future skin cancer.

NEWSDAY

Study links low-carb diet to higher risk of heart diseaseA diet low in carbohydrates could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke over the long term, according to a study by a group of researchers.

The team examined the dietary habits of 43,396 Swedish women, ages 30 to 49, in 1991 and 1992. The participants were monitored for incidence of cardiovascular diseases for an average of about 16 years.

The group analyzed 1,270 cases of cardiovascular events, categorizing them into 10 stages, according to participants' intake of carbohydrates and protein.

Results showed that the incidence rate of cardiovascular disease increased by 4 percent at each stage, as carbohydrate intake decreased and protein intake rose.

In general, people who go on a low-carb diet tend to increase their intake of protein. The risk rate for the low-carb, high-protein group was up to 1.6 times higher than that of other groups.

It is believed that a low-carb diet increases the risk of cardiovascular disease because it reduces the intake of fiber, vitamins and minerals, while increasing intake of protein, usually accompanied by cholesterol and saturated fats.