VITAMIN D PROVISION FOR BABIES

The study estimated vitamin D provision for babies in relation to the type of their feeding and the efficiency of drug donations of cholecalciferol preparations. A total of 132 babies aged 1 to 12 months were examined. Vitamin D deficiency was shown to occur in more than half (58.3%) of the babies at the solar minimum. If hypovitaminosis D was not prevented using drugs, the serum 25(OH)D level in the breastfed babies was 8.7 (6.3-14.8) ng/ml, which was significantly lower than that in formula-fed ones [24.55 (19.0-32.0) ng/ml] (p=0.00002). Cholecalciferol taken by the infants in a preventive dose of 500-1500 IU/day substantially increased their provision with vitamin D from 19.8 (10.4–26.3) to 32.7 (24.5-45.7) ng/ml (p=0.0000007), regardless of the feeding pattern. The serum calcidiol level is closely correlated with the dose of cholecalciferol (r=0.57; p