The Healthy Start program tries to provide free vitamin D to the UK needy
However, only
180 IU of vitamin D to infants over 6 months old - and none for infants younger than 6 months
400 IU to breastfeeding mothers - which is just enough to prevent rickets
clipped from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207753.php
Oliver Gillie, of the Health Research Forum, said that the Healthy Start scheme was badly implemented, does not work properly, and ignores the needs of mothers and children who are not on benefits and so do not qualify for free Healthy Start vitamins. In a lecture last night to the health charity, Caroline Walker Trust, Gillie said that the scheme is a farce and unless it is extended will never reach more than a small minority of women and children.
*Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D has the following summary
IU | Cumulative Benefit | Blood level | Cofactors | Calcium | $*/month |
200 | Better bones for mom with 600 mg of Calcium | 6 ng/ml increase | Not needed | No effect | $0.10 |
400 | Less Rickets (but not zero with 400 IU) 3X less adolescent Schizophrenia Fewer child seizures | 20-30 ng/ml | Not needed | No effect | $0.20 |
2000 | 2X More likely to get pregnant naturally/IVF 2X Fewer dental problems with pregnancy 8X less diabetes 4X fewer C-sections (>37 ng) 4X less preeclampsia (40 ng vs 10 ng) 5X less child asthma 2X fewer language problems age 5 | 42 ng/ml | Desirable | < 750 mg | $1 |
4000 | 2X fewer pregnancy complications 2X fewer pre-term births | 49 ng/ml | Should have cofactors | < 750 mg | $3 |
6000 | Probable: larger benefits for above items Just enough D for breastfed infant More maternal and infant weight | Should have cofactors | < 750 mg | $4 |
See also Vitamin D Life
- [https://www.vitad.org/tiki-index.php?page_id=1901|Low vitamin D associated with low socio-economics in UK – Aug 2011]
- [https://www.vitad.org/tiki-browse_categories.php?parentId=103&sort_mode=created_desc|All items in Europe]
208 items - UK program to increase Vitamin D (Healthy Start) continues to be a farce - Nov 2014
Healthy Start vitamin D supplementation in UK is a farce - Nov 20107265 visitors, last modified 27 Nov, 2014,