Is Your Family Getting Enough Vitamin D?

The new report states that proper nutrition begins in the womb: "Adequate nutritional vitamin D status during pregnancy is important for fetal skeletal development, tooth enamel formation, and perhaps general fetal growth and development."

The AAP's statement is supported by a 2002 British study of the effects of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy, which showed that an expectant mother's vitamin D levels "largely determine the vitamin D status of the fetus and newborn infant." The AAP encourages pregnant women to not only take a prenatal vitamin containing at least 400 IU of vitamin D, but also to have their vitamin D levels measured by their obstetrician to ensure their fetus is receiving enough to develop properly.