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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Healthy Pregnancy, Baby & Child / Should Babies Get Cod Liver Oil?

Should Babies Get Cod Liver Oil?

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links ✔

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Which Cod Liver Oil is Best for Babies?
  • Health and Developmental Benefits
  • Appropriate Age and Dosage
  • Krill or Fish Oil Not a Good Substitute
  • How to Give Babies Cod Liver Oil+−
    • Eye Dropper
    • Formula
    • Skin Method
    • Older Children  

The benefits of giving babies cod liver oil, at what age to begin, how to administer, and the daily dosage as recommended by the experts.

baby getting cod liver oil with an eyedropper

Should babies get cod liver oil as a supplement? If so, how young should this age-old traditional food be started? Are all brands of cod liver oil the same, or are there some that are vetted to be of higher quality?

The short answer is yes, babies need cod liver oil even if they are exclusively breastfed. More on this recommendation, timing, and dosages as suggested by the Weston A. Price Foundation below. (1)

Which Cod Liver Oil is Best for Babies?

Dr. Weston A. Price was very clear about the type of cod liver oil to give babies and children. It should be the high vitamin variety.

Unfortunately, almost all companies that produce cod liver oil have cheapened their manufacturing process over the years to either remove natural vitamins A/D and replace them with synthetic versions, reduce the amounts of A/D, or both.

In other words, most brands of cod liver oil are no longer considered high vitamin. Only a few quality ones remain on the market!

For example, Carlson’s brand of cod liver oil used to be recommended by the Weston Price Foundation only to be dropped from the list because the company started removing some of the natural vitamin A.

A few companies refused to cheapen their products and stopped using Norwegian manufacturers because the natural vitamin A/D was replaced with synthetic versions. A method for producing a high vitamin cod liver oil by fermenting the cod livers (not the oil!) was developed.

The resulting product is produced with no heat or solvents. However, this form of cod liver oil contains some beneficial lactic acid which can produce a mild burning sensation on the back of the throat for about 10% of folks who take it.

In those cases, extra virgin cod liver oil is a good option (such as this brand). This type of cod liver oil is raw and produced without heat or solvents. Additionally, it contains no lactic acid, which is easier for some to tolerate, especially babies and young children.

Health and Developmental Benefits

The benefits of adequate (natural) vitamin A and D from cod liver oil in a growing child’s diet are significant. Two of the most important are naturally straight teeth and improved learning at school.

Other benefits include the development of healthy bone structure, higher IQ, increased lung capacity, lowered risk for autoimmune disease, and markedly reduced risk for respiratory infection among many others. (2)

Appropriate Age and Dosage

What is the appropriate dosage for a young child given that the daily recommended intake of vitamin D has increased significantly in recent years?

When my children reached 3 months old, I started giving them 1/4 tsp of high vitamin cod liver oil daily with an eyedropper. All were exclusively breastfed. Incidentally, I was taking high vitamin cod liver oil myself on a daily basis as well. Moms need natural A/D too!

For example, Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston Price Foundation, told me that her grandchildren received 1/2 tsp of cod liver oil on a daily basis when they were babies. They started receiving this supplement at age 3 months and experienced no problems.

This is double the dose that I gave my own children! But, the appropriate daily dosage of vitamin D for children has increased significantly in recent years as scientists uncovered additional information about this remarkable nutrient.

Krill or Fish Oil Not a Good Substitute

It is important to not use krill oil or fish oil as a substitute for cod liver oil. Krill oil contains no vitamin D and very little vitamin A.

Similarly, plain fish oil is not a desirable substitute as it is a highly industrialized product (processed at high temperatures) and contains no natural vitamin A or D whatsoever.  

High vitamin cod liver oil (this is the brand I’ve used since 2015) is far superior to other forms of marine oils on the market.

How to Give Babies Cod Liver Oil

There are several ways to ensure a baby is getting the proper amount of cod liver oil for optimum growth.

Eye Dropper

The easiest way to give babies cod liver oil is to put the 1/4-1/2 tsp daily dosage in a bottle of expressed Mother’s milk. You can also eye dropper it into the baby’s mouth a drop at a time if you aren’t pumping.

Formula

If you are not nursing, consider using this homemade baby formula developed by a PhD in Nutritional Sciences. It contains high vitamin cod liver oil as one of the key ingredients.

Skin Method

Another option is to apply cod liver oil to the skin. It absorbs quite well this way. For babies, try rubbing some on their bottom during a diaper change.

Note that old-time brands of diaper rash ointment used to contain cod liver oil!

Older Children  

As children get older, a spoon can be used. My children all take high vitamin cod liver oil right off the spoon and chase with water. My youngest transitioned to this approach at weaning age with no trouble.

This video shows you how to give children cod liver oil based on my own experience over the years and coaching others on Traditional Diet.

If you have a creative way to get cod liver oil into your babies and children that would be helpful to share, please add in the comments section.  I would be very interested to hear of your experiences as I’m sure others would as well.

References

(1, 2) Weston A. Price Foundation: Cod Liver Oil

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Category: Healthy Fats, Healthy Pregnancy, Baby & Child
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (258)

  1. Naa

    Jul 1, 2019 at 4:06 am

    My seven weeks baby is drink antibiotics, can I still give him CLO. Thanks

    Reply
  2. Sophia

    Mar 20, 2019 at 8:34 pm

    Can you start CLO before baby is 3 months old? We are trying to make the baby formula on the Weston A. Price website, because my daughter is not gaining weight and we don’t want to use powdered formulas she is less than 2 weeks old. It is difficult to find information on giving them CLO before 3 months. Please, any information you have would be so helpful.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 21, 2019 at 10:33 am

      It is fine to give the CLO for a baby younger than 3 months mixed in as part of the homemade formula though. Just don’t give it separately.

  3. Ines

    Mar 16, 2019 at 12:03 pm

    I bought the extra virgin Dropi brand of CLO (oil not the capsules) off Amazon. It is highly rated.

    Reply
  4. Angela

    Mar 13, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Vital Choice has just come out with Wild Alaskan Cod Liver oil. Do you know anything about it?

    Also, how do you know if a CLO is high vitamin clo or just regular?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 13, 2019 at 3:43 pm

      I haven’t heard of it! I will have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up. High vitamin has higher amounts of vitmains A/D in it. There are only a few brands on the market that are high vitamin. The Weston Price Foundation puts out a list of these brands in its annual Shopping Guide.

  5. Carrie

    Mar 12, 2019 at 11:36 am

    I see you recommend just one brand of CLO and it has been out of stock for sometime. I’d like to start my six month old ASAP. Is there a comparable brand you know of? Also I’ve been told by a reputable source that CLO is best when taken in conjunction with quality butter oil for vitamin K. Ring a bell?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 12, 2019 at 11:59 am

      Unfortunately, I don’t have another brand to recommend. Yes, taking CLO with butter oil is helpful and synergistic for absorption.

      You can use emu oil instead of the butter oil if you like … it’s actually higher in K2 than butter oil.

  6. Vik

    Mar 5, 2019 at 10:16 am

    How long can I give my child cod liver oil I started when he was one year,a teaspoon daily.?I fear it can be harmful if I use it for many years.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 5, 2019 at 11:51 am

      My 3 children have taken it all through childhood. It is very beneficial during the growing years. My oldest is now 20 and never needed antibiotics (neither have the other two).

  7. Denise

    Mar 1, 2019 at 7:01 pm

    Hi my daughter is 18 months, she about 6 months delay. I read great things about cod liver oil , how much should I give her ?

    Reply
  8. Helen Solomon

    Jan 26, 2019 at 1:38 am

    Can I give my three weeks old Baby cod liver oil when the she is showing signs of stomach pains

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Jan 26, 2019 at 9:59 am

      The Weston Price Foundation recommends 3 months old as the youngest age to start receiving cod liver oil (1/4 tsp).

  9. Mercy

    Dec 16, 2018 at 1:42 pm

    Thank you very much for your advice, I really had a lot of questions about cod liver oil, and thanks to you i have my answers.

    Reply
  10. Abdulrasaq sulyman

    Nov 8, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    can cold lever oil causes convulsion for babies

    Reply
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