Article 06: Infants Should Be Supplemented with Vitamin D says EU Committee

Recent publications from various parts of Europe all show that a substantial part of the population including pre-school children has a vitamin D intake below the recommended dietary intakes. Indeed, an investigation of the diet and health of 824 elderly people from 19 towns in 11 countries (Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Norway), found that thirty-six per cent of the men and 47% of the women had vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations below 30 nmol/L

Surprisingly, lowest mean concentrations were found in southern European countries; ie those with the higher levels of sunshine. More than 80% of Italian and Greek women had values below 30 nmol compared with 18% in Norway. One factor associated with better vitamin D status was increased fish consumption, but the main reasons for the relatively good vitamin D status in the Scandinavian countries are probably fortification of food and a higher percentage of people taking vitamin D supplements. Cod liver oil was taken regularly by 35% of all men and 34% of all women in Norway in 1997, and the percentage was higher among the elderly.

So reports the EU Scientific Committee on Food who further state that vitamin D concentrations in infants born in the winter in northern areas were considerably reduced and reached levels associated with rickets during this period. The general recommendation therefore is that infants should be supplemented with vitamin D.