After the discovery of three new cases of overdose in France, ANSES reminds parents of the recommendations for supplementing infants with vitamin D.
- Three new cases of severe hypercalcaemia in infants following vitamin D supplementation have been reported to ANSES.
- The agency publishes recommendations for parents on the proper use of vitamin D in infants.
- Vitamin D is prescribed in France from the first days of life to help newborns maintain strong bones and teeth.
The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) yesterday warned parents against the risks of too much vitamin D intake in newborns: “An excess of vitamin D can have serious consequences on their health and threaten the vital prognosis of toddlers. can we read in the press release.
Three new cases of hypercalcaemia have been reported to ANSES
This statement comes as three new cases of vitamin D overdose linked to the intake of food supplements have recently been reported in infants in France.
The agency has indeed recorded three new reports of severe hypercalcemia – an excess of calcium in the blood – which occurred in 2022. An alert had already launched in early 2021 following three other similar cases.
In children, this vitamin is essential in the prevention of rickets, a disease that causes deformities during bone growth and development. But “giving your child too much vitamin D can be just as dangerous as not giving enough“, said ANSES.
Vitamin D: drugs are safer than dietary supplements
It is therefore recommended that parents give preference to taking medication rather than taking food supplements: “Medicines guarantee clear information in terms of doses, precautions for use, risk of adverse effects and overdose.”, writes the agency.
The health authority also reminds you to carefully control the doses given to your child and not to multiply the products containing vitamin D to avoid overdoses which could disturb his kidney function.
In all cases, the intake of vitamin D must only be done on prescription from a health professional, insists ANSES again. This alert is launched following the reports received within the framework of its nutrivigilance where consumers are invited to declare any adverse effect suspected of being linked to taking a food supplement.
