Vitamin D Supplementation Practices in Breastfed Infants in Outpatient Pediatric Clinics

Background. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics increased the daily recommendation from 200 to 400 IU per day of vitamin D for all infants. Therefore, it has become vital for pediatricians and other healthcare providers to recommend and verify that their patients are on vitamin D supplementation. Objective. To investigate the proportion of pediatricians recommending vitamin D at the first and 6-month visit in infants and to determine predictors of vitamin D supplementation practices. Methods. Retrospective chart review of 219 patients seen at well baby pediatric visits to document the vitamin D supplementation practices. The Wilcoxon rank sum test and Fisher’s exact test were used to make comparisons of weight, gestational age, gender, breastfeeding status, and insurance status based on vitamin D practices. Results. Eighty-seven percent of exclusively breastfed infants had no pediatrician recommendations for supplemental vitamin D at the first pediatrician visit, and 71% had no recommendations for...