ADDED VALUE

This week: Should our food be fortified? VITAMIN D has to be added to formula milk for babies under a year old because this milk is often the only nutrition they get. Breast milk contains very low levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles, is synthesised in the skin in the presence of sunlight. Only a small amount is found in food, so babies may not have enough. The recommended daily intake for them is 7mcg to 8.5mcg. Breastfed infants should be given vitamin D drops.

THE DOWNSIDE: Babies shouldn’t be given vitamin D supplements if they’re having more than a pint of infant formula a day because they are already getting their daily allowance from the formula. ‘Too much vitamin D can lead to high levels of calcium in the blood, which can cause heart and kidney problems,’ says dietitian Ursula Arens.