Half of newborns deficient in vitamin D, study finds

A UCC study of more than 1,000 newborns found almost half (46%) were deficient in vitamin D, rising to 62% in wintertime.

The deficiency can cause rickets, a softening of the bones, that can lead to skeletal deformities. However, when researchers followed up with the babies, there was no sign of rickets.

Lead author Mairead Kiely said this was “in all probability” down to the diligence of mums complying with the national supplementation policy during the first year of an infant’s life. HSE policy is that all infants, whether breastfed or formula fed, be given a daily supplement of the vitamin.