Do Breastfed Babies Need Multivitamins And Vitamin C Drops?
Some hospitals routinely recommend these vitamins. They are not needed. In any case, multivitamin drops also contain enough Vitamin C to prevent any possible Vitamin C deficiency in a baby. So it is irrational to prescribe both. Breast milk in malnourished women can be deficient in Vitamin K, the B group of vitamins and Vitamins C and D. I have not yet come across a single case of deficiency of Vitamins K, B (except Vitamin Bl2) and C in the breastfed babies under my care. It is possible that these babies get enough colostrum, which is rich in Vitamin K. I also advise mothers to take seasonal fruits, vegetables (leafy as well as raw), milk or milk products and sprouts, as these provide an adequate amount of these vitamins in their breast milk. However, if a mother follows a diet that does not include such foods, I would prescribe multivitamins for her rather than for the baby, whereby both would benefit. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anaemia and brain and nerve damage. I have seen s
