Vitamin C Supplementation During Breastfeeding
Yes, breastfeeding patients can and should take vitamin C supplementation, with a recommended total daily intake of 155 mg/day (95 mg baseline plus 60 mg additional for lactation). 1
Recommended Dosage
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) specifically recommends that lactating women consume 155 mg/day of vitamin C total: the standard 95 mg/day population reference intake plus an additional 60 mg/day to support lactation. 1
Any standard vitamin C supplement providing this recommended daily amount is suitable and safe for breastfeeding women. 1
Safety Profile
No specific upper limit for vitamin C has been established exclusively for lactating women; standard adult safety guidelines apply, making vitamin C supplementation very safe during breastfeeding. 1
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin with an excellent safety profile, and excess amounts are simply excreted in urine rather than accumulating to toxic levels. 1
Impact on Breast Milk and Infant Health
Vitamin C concentration in breast milk directly reflects maternal vitamin C intake more than the infant's specific requirement, with healthy mothers' milk containing 35-90 mg/L of vitamin C. 1
Maternal vitamin C intake significantly influences both plasma and milk concentrations, with research showing a strong correlation (r = 0.61, p < 0.01) between maternal dietary vitamin C and breast milk content. 2
Exclusively breastfed infants maintain optimal plasma vitamin C concentrations (approximately 2-fold higher than maternal levels) when mothers have adequate intake, even surpassing vitamin C-supplemented formula-fed controls. 3
Clinical Considerations
Mothers who do not take vitamin supplements during lactation may have breast milk vitamin C content that provides only half of their infant's needs, with all such infants showing urinary vitamin C excretion below normal limits. 4
Approximately 6% of lactating mothers may develop subnormal plasma vitamin C concentrations without obvious symptoms, particularly 2 months postpartum and during spring months. 3
Breast milk vitamin C content varies seasonally, being higher in summer (3.9 mg/100 ml) than winter (3.02 mg/100 ml), reflecting dietary intake patterns. 2
Important Caveats
While exclusively breastfed infants are well-protected against vitamin C deficiency when mothers supplement appropriately, marginal maternal intake is more common than assumed even in well-nourished populations. 3
Continuing multivitamin supplementation throughout the breastfeeding period is advisable, as the diet of breastfeeding women is not always optimal and vitamin C requirements are elevated during lactation. 4