Can Babies Take Vitamin C

Can I Take Vitamin C While Breastfeeding

Yes, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements say the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C in a breastfeeding mother over age 19 is 120 mg/day with a tolerable upper intake level of 2000 mg .

Thomas Hale MD author of Medications and Mothers Milk 2017 says only undernourished mothers need vitamin C supplementation. He warns that pregnant women should avoid excessive vitamin C as it could cause a change in metabolism of the vitamin potentially causing scurvy in the newborn baby.

Infant Supplements To Ask Your Pediatrician About

Monkey Business Images/ThinkStock

Starting your baby on solid foods is exciting and messy! Most babies start with a very small amount of age-appropriate solid food between 4 to 6 months old and will continue to rely on breast milk or iron-fortified formula for their nutrition. Then, at around 9 to 11 months old, you may start noticing a dramatic drop in how much breast milk or formula your baby drinks as more nutrition and calories come from solid foods.

Because of their changing dietary needs over this transition, it is important that infants get the nutrition they need to grow and develop. For some children, this means working with a healthcare provider to fill nutritional gaps with carefully chosen supplements.

Iron

Babies are born with a store of iron that lasts them for about 4 to 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that full-term infants who are exclusively or mostly breastfed be given an iron supplement starting at 4 months of age. Talk to your babys healthcare provider about how long to continue an iron supplement after your baby begins eating iron-containing solid foods. Formula generally is iron-fortified, so formula-fed babies rarely need an iron supplement.

Children born premature or with a low birth weight may have reduced iron stores. If so, your babys healthcare provider will probably recommend iron supplements until your baby is at least 6 to 12 months old. This may be needed even for some formula-fed babies.

Vitamin D

Fluoride

Tags

Risks Of Using Vitamin C Skincare While Pregnant

As weve discussed, its absolutely safe to use vitamin C skincare while pregnant. However, wed be remiss not to mention that, for some people, it can initially cause some stinging or redness, which will go away as soon as your skin adapts to it. But best of all, using vitamin C in skincare while pregnant is a situation in which the benefits far outweigh the temporary risks.

Read Also: Does Vitamin D3 Make You Lose Weight

Tolerable Upper Intake Level

The Food and Nutrition Board has also set tolerable upper intake levels, or ULs, of vitamin C for each children’s age group. The UL is the maximum amount a child can consume of the nutrient daily without experiencing potentially harmful side effects. Adolescents should not exceed 1,800 milligrams per day, and children between 9 and 13 should have no more than 1,200 milligrams. Between the ages of 4 and 8, children should not have over 650 milligrams. These totals include vitamin C obtained from supplements and food sources combined.

Vitamin C For Babies: Safety Efficacy And Dosage

• Bottom line

Becoming a parent can be one of the most joyous and challenging experiences of your life.

One of the first lessons every new parent learns is how to make sure your baby is well fed and adequately nourished throughout each stage of their life.

Vitamin C is an important nutrient thats essential for optimal health across the life cycle.

Many new parents wonder if their infants are getting enough vitamin C and whether a supplement is ever necessary.

This article reviews everything you need to know about vitamin C for babies, including what it is, how much is needed, and how to make sure your baby is getting enough every day.

Don’t Miss: Which Vitamins Should I Take During Pregnancy

Protects Against Uv Damage

Along with your daily sunscreen, the antioxidant action of vitamin C can help protect your skin against UV rays emitted by the sun and blue light, as well as pollution. It does this by neutralizing free radicals , which, left unchecked, can result in premature skin aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation. Bottom line: the beauty of vitamin C in skincare is that it can help both repair and defend your skin.

What Vitamins Should Not Be Taken Together

Many people take supplements to improve their health or prevent disease. In the United States, supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. This means they do not come with strict instructions to follow or warnings about interactions like prescription medications.

So, you have to pay attention to which supplements you are taking, when you take them, and how much you take.

You May Like: What Vitamin Is Good For Healthy Nails

What About High Doses Intravenously

The kidneys control levels of vitamin C in the blood and levels of vitamin C are regulated in breast milk. However, in complementary medicine, when vitamin C is given in high concentrations intravenously , vitamin C can reach 30-70 times higher levels in the blood compared to taking the equivalent amount orally . Thomas Hale speculates that vitamin C levels in breast milk would probably also be high, and may predispose babies to a higher risk of kidney stones. However use of intravenous vitamin C has not been studied in breastfeeding women . Hale makes the following observations:

• Mothers with poor kidney function, history of kidney stones, G6PD deficiency or the blood disease: paroxysmal nocturnal hematuria should avoid having IV vitamin C.
• Mothers of babies with poor kidney function and G6PD deficiency should avoid taking excessive doses of vitamin C.
• Breastfeeding mothers should avoid IV vitamin C or, if used, avoid breastfeeding for 12-24 hours after therapy.

If you do want to take higher than recommended doses of supplemental vitamin C, discuss this with your health professional who will be able to advise you based on the amount of vitamin C already in your diet, any medical conditions you have and any medications or supplements you already take.

Impair The Effectiveness Of Niacin

Evidence suggests that taking vitamin C supplements may impair the bodys ability to increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol in people taking the combination drug niacin-simvastatin. This drug combines the vitamin niacin with the statin simvastatin , and people take it to treat high cholesterol.

Doctors consider HDL cholesterol the good cholesterol because it reduces the amount of harmful cholesterol in the blood.

If a person takes vitamin C supplements and niacin-simvastatin, they should talk to their doctor about ways to make each more effective. Doctors do not know whether vitamin C also affects the ability of other medicines similar to Zocor.

A persons body cannot make vitamin C, so people need to eat enough foods that contain vitamin C to meet their daily needs. If someone is at risk of a vitamin C deficiency, they can take vitamin C supplements.

The advise aiming for the following RDA of vitamin C each day:

People who smoke should take 35 mg more vitamin C per day than those who do not smoke.

During pregnancy or when breastfeeding, women should get the following levels of vitamin C per day:

• 1418 years: 80 mg during pregnancy and 115 mg when breastfeeding
• 19 years and older: 85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg when breastfeeding

There is not enough research to suggest an RDA for vitamin C in those younger than 1 year of age. As a result, the ODS provide an adequate intake, which is the amount that is likely to be sufficient:

• broccoli

Read Also: Does Vitamin B12 Cause Acne

Diet May Have Mattered

Before the study, most participants got more vitamin C and vitamin E from their diets than the recommended daily amount of those vitamins.

“Thus, the results cannot be generalized to women with low dietary intakes of antioxidants,” write Rumbold and colleagues.

An earlier study showed that supplementation with vitamins C and E “was beneficial for women at high risk of preeclampsia,” Rumbold’s team writes. But Rumbold’s study didn’t focus on high-risk women.

Other studies on the topic are under way in the U.S. and overseas, the researchers note.

Vitamin C Can Do A Lot Of Good For Your Body But Not If It Leaves You Nauseated Or You Forget To Take It Every Day Here’s The Best Time To Take Your C

irishe4kaaa/ShutterstockVitamin C is an antioxidant powerhouse that may help shorten the duration of common colds and improve healing after surgery and thats not allcheckout 13 more potential health benefits of vitamin C. But to get the most from your supplements, you have to take C at the right time of day.

Also known as L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This means it is easily absorbed into body tissue. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins cant be stored by your body, so you need to replenish vitamin C regularly by eating C-rich foods or by taking supplements. Excess C and other water-soluble vitamins are cleared from your blood by your kidneys and excreted in your urine.

The National Institutes of Health experts recommend that men get 90 milligrams of vitamin C a day women should aim for 75 milligrams. If you smoke, add 35 mg to those values. Smoking can deplete vitamin C these are the signs you may be deficient in vitamin C.

Another option is to split up your doses, says Zembroski: This can improve absorption, reduce the chance that it will make you nauseated, and it can help keep your blood levels high all day as you wont be excreting as much of it in urine. Scheduling your dose after the same meal each day will help you remember to take it, he says.

Don’t Miss: How Much Zinc Is In One A Day Vitamins

Why Vitamin C Matters For Babies Tots And Mama

Your specific vitamin C daily requirements vary by age, gender and life stage:

• Babies 0 â 6 months require 40 mg
• Infants 7 â 12 months require 50 mg
• Children 1 â 3 years require 15 mg
• Children 4 â 8 years require 25 mg
• Children 9 â 13 years require 45 mg
• Adolescent boys 14 â 18 years require 75 mg
• Adolescent girls 14 â 18 years require 65 mg
• Adult men require 90 mg
• Adult women require 75 mg
• Pregnant teens require 80 mg
• Pregnant women require 85 mg
• Breastfeeding teens require 115 mg
• Breastfeeding women require 120 mg

Note that if you are a smoker, you should add 35 mg to your relevant category.

In its natural state, vitamin C is primarily found in fruits and vegetables. Plant foods particularly high in vitamin C include papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi and cantaloupe.

Food-based vitamin C is prone to damage by heat and wonât store well over long periods of time, so itâs good to include raw vitamin C-rich foods in your regular diet.

The good news is that vitamin C deficiency is rare. Vitamin C inadequacy can occur in some people , but if you regularly eat fruits and vegetables, you will likely be getting an adequate amount of Vitamin C.

Is It Ok To Take Vitamin C Every Day Daily Recommended Limits

It is OK to take vitamin C every day in recommended dosages. Since your body cant produce or store vitamin C on its own, you need to get it through food or supplements.

Too much vitamin C, however, can cause side effects. Learn about the upper limits of vitamin C intake, how much you should have each day, and good sources to include in your diet.

Recommended Reading: What Vitamins Make You Lose Weight

Where You Can Get Baby Vitamin Drops

Your health visitor can give you advice on vitamin drops and tell you where to get them.

You’re entitled to free vitamin drops if you qualify for Healthy Start.

The Department of Health and Social Care only recommends vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D.

But some supplements you can buy contain other vitamins or ingredients. Talk to a pharmacist about which supplement would be most suitable for your child.

Having too much of some vitamins can be harmful. Keep to the dose recommended on the label, and be careful not to give your child 2 supplements at the same time.

For example, do not give them cod liver oil and vitamin drops because cod liver oil also contains vitamins A and D. One supplement on its own is enough, as long as it contains the recommended dose of vitamin D.

Why Is It Important To Give Baby Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient that is essential for several of your baby’s most important physical functions. It is important for maintaining a healthy immune system, improving iron absorption and producing collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body .

Recommended Reading: What Does Vitamin B 6 Do

Vitamin C Reduces Mortality In Vaccinated Infants And Children

Kalokerinos demonstrated repeatedly and quite conclusively that Aboriginal infants and children, a group with an unusually high death rate after vaccinations, were almost completely protected from this outcome by dosing them with vitamin C before and after vaccinations. The reason articulated for the high death rate was the exceptionally poor and near-scurvy-inducing diet that was common in the Aboriginal culture. This also demonstrates that with the better nutrition in the United States and elsewhere in the world, the suggested doses of vitamin C should give an absolute protection against death and almost absolute protection against lesser toxic outcomes from any vaccinations administered. Certainly, there appears to be no logical reason not to give a nontoxic substance known to neutralize toxicity and stimulate antibody production, which is the whole point of vaccine administration.

Are Vitamin C Supplements Necessary

It is always best to get your nutrients from food rather than supplements.

Fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are good sources. Foods naturally rich in vitamin C include:

• Raw red peppers: 95 mg per 1/2-cup serving
• Orange juice: 90 mg per 3/4-cup serving
• Orange: 70 mg per one medium fruit
• Kiwi: 64 mg per one medium fruit
• Raw green peppers: 60 mg per 1/2-cup serving
• Cooked broccoli: 51 mg per 1/2-cup serving
• Strawberries: 49 mg per 1/2-cup serving
• Cooked Brussels sprouts: 48 mg per 1/2-cup serving
• Tomato juice: 33 mg per 1/2-cup serving
• Cantaloupe: 29 mg per 1/2-cup serving

If you don’t get enough vitamin C from what you eat, a supplement can help get you to the right levels.

Also Check: What Vitamins Should I Take For Healthy Skin

Dosage Information For Pediatricians And Parents

Practically speaking, then, how should the pediatrician or parent proceed? For optimal antibody stimulation and toxin protection, it would be best to dose for three to five days before the shot and to continue for at least two to three days following the shot. When dealing with infants and very young children, administering a 1,000 mg dose of liposome-encapsulated vitamin C would be both easiest and best, as the gel-like nature of this form of vitamin C allows a ready mixture into yogurt or any other palatable food, and the complete proximal absorption of the liposomes would avoid any possible loose stools or other possible undesirable bowel effects.

Very similar considerations exist for older individuals receiving any of a number of vaccinations for preventing infection, such as the yearly flu shots. When there is really no urgency, and there rarely is, such individuals should supplement with vitamin C for several weeks before and several weeks after, if at all possible.

Even taking a one-time dose of vitamin C in the dosage range suggested above directly before the injections can still have a significant toxin-neutralizing and antibody-stimulating effect. It’s just that an even better likelihood of having a positive outcome results from extending the pre- and post-dosing periods of time.

Can Taking Vitamin C Prevent A Cold

Theres been a lot of debate about if vitamin C helps prevent the common cold. Its a topic that has been extensively researched, and theres some evidence that vitamin C may reduce how long your cold may last, says Dr. Radhakrishnan. But he says taking vitamin C on a regular basis doesnt reduce how often youll get a cold or how severe it will be.

Although the medical evidence is not overwhelming, this vitamin may help reduce the duration of common cold, Dr. Radhakrishnan concludes. This is why some healthcare professionals recommend vitamin C for the common cold.

Given how safe and relatively inexpensive vitamin C is, it may be alright to give your child a short course of vitamin C during a cold but this should be discussed with your childs physician, he says.

Like your mom always said, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

You May Like: Where To Buy Vitamin B6 25mg

What Supplements Do Babies Need

In most cases, children get all of the vitamins and minerals they need from the variety of foods they consume in their diet. There are, however, a handful of babies and children who may need supplements in order to make up for any vitamin deficiencies for a variety of reasons. Before making any hasty decisions to purchase or supplement with any particular vitamin, its important to get an expert opinion and check in with your pediatrician.

Vitamin D: An essential baby vitamin

While there are food sources of Vitamin D, its called the sunshine vitamin because its created by our bodies with exposure to sunlight . As most babies are protected by the sun with clothes and sunhats to prevent sunburn, they dont get the exposure they need. Additionally, with proper use, sunscreen blocks the UVB light needed for our bodies to create vitamin D, so the skin that does get exposed usually cant create adequate amounts. Beyond the use of sunscreen, if you live where theres less sun due to winter, places with higher pollution, areas with periods of prolonged sun exposure or if your baby has darker skin, they may not get the vitamin D they need.

Do formula-fed babies need to take supplements?

Do breastfed babies need to take supplements?