Does My Baby Need Vitamin Supplements?

Babies generally get all the nutrition they need with formula.

If your baby is breastfed, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends giving her a vitamin D supplement, as breast milk typically has very low levels of this nutrient. What's more, infants don't get sun exposure like adults do, to produce vitamin D naturally.

Your breastfed baby may also need an iron supplement, if your baby is born premature, or with low birth weight, or has low iron stores at birth.

As your baby becomes a toddler (and a picky eater), you may want to ask your doctor about vitamin supplements to be sure she's getting all the nutrition she needs.

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