Best vitamin D drops for infants of 2024, according to pediatricians

Jennifer Shu, M.D.Opens a new window, a pediatrician and former chief pediatric resident at the University of California, San Francisco, recommends these drops for her infant patients. Despite the addition of coconut oil, the formula is flavorless, so it’s unlikely your baby will object to the taste. It's also clear, so it won't stain bottle nipples or your skin.

Parents particularly like the way Baby Ddrops are dispensed: You turn the bottle upside down, and gravity makes one drop fall. You have to be patient since you can't squeeze the glass bottle, but because you're not applying force, you can be sure that you're getting the correct amount.

Fans also appreciate the note on Baby Ddrops' packaging that says the drops can be kept at any temperature between 40 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with no refrigeration needed. That’s a broad temperature range that is more reassuring than the "no refrigeration needed" or "store in a cool, dry place" notices found on most vitamin D drop packaging. It’s worth noting that the brand comes in 90- or 60-serving bottles and is only partially filled, which can be confusing to some parents.

Parents feel good about the ingredient list on Mommy's Bliss vitamin D drops: Vitamin D and organic medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, which some believe helps with vitamin absorptionOpens a new window. Besides the pristine ingredients, parents love that Mommy's Bliss has a one-drop dosage. "I put it right on my nipple, and [my son] didn't even seem to notice," says Sarah Darby, senior SEO content strategist at BabyCenter.

Sarah started with a supplement that required a full dropper dosage but found Mommy's Bliss much easier to use. She also appreciated that she could find it easily in stores and “just grab it when I needed it!”

Dosing your child with D-Vi-Sol is different from using the one-drop formulations. Instead of dispensing a single drop that you place on a nipple or pacifier, you fill the included dropper and either feed it directly into your baby's mouth or mix it with their food, milk, or formula.

Parents feel secure about both the dosage and the delivery, and they say their babies absolutely love the taste (cherry flavor). “If parents prefer using a dropper for dosing, this is what I recommend, and insurance will even cover it sometimes," says Dr. DeZure.

Vitamin D plays a key role in helping babies develop strong, sturdy bones. However, they can’t get enough from breast milk alone, and many formula-fed babies don't get enough either, according to the AAP, as noted earlier. To make up the shortfall, liquid vitamin D supplements are a straightforward and typically inexpensive purchase. Nonetheless, there are some things you may want to consider when purchasing:

• Dosage: Vitamin D drops come in diluted and concentrated forms. You'll give your baby a dropperful of the diluted formula or a single drop of concentrated vitamin D once per day.
• Administering: One-drop vitamin D formulations are usually placed on your nipple, a bottle or pacifier nipple, or on a clean finger to be fed to babies. Dropper formulations are fed directly to babies from the dropper or mixed with milk, formula, or food. All these methods are safe, Dr. DeZure says, as long as you follow the instructions for your vitamin and give your child the recommended dose.
• Ingredients: The most important ingredient is 400 IU of vitamin D per dose for children younger than 12 months and 600 IU for older children. Dr. Shu says she prefers as few extra ingredients as possible, but the choice of brand is up to parents: “Dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so look for well-known brands." If you have questions about a vitamin D (or any) supplement, check with your pediatrician.
• Safety: More vitamin D isn’t better. Very high doses can be toxic and potentially cause nausea, rashes, or more serious symptoms, the AAP says. So measure out your baby’s dose carefully and stick with a single dose per day.
  
  Marygrace Taylor contributed to this story.