Vitamin D Supplementation

Key points

• UK advice follows the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN, 2016) and current Department of Health and Social Care / NHS guidance, which superseded the 2012 Chief Medical Officer letter and the 2013 National Osteoporosis Society guideline.
• Everyone — including pregnant and breastfeeding women — should consider a daily supplement containing 10 µg (400 IU) of vitamin D during the AUTUMN AND WINTER.
• Babies from birth to 1 year need 8.5–10 µg daily, unless they are having more than 500 ml of infant formula a day, which is already fortified with vitamin D.
• Children aged 1–4 years should be given 10 µg daily ALL YEAR ROUND.
• Year-round supplementation is advised for those at higher risk: people with little or no sun exposure (housebound, in care homes, or who usually cover their skin outdoors), and people with dark skin from African, African-Caribbean or South Asian backgrounds.