Newborn Baby Often Wakes Up Crying on the 19th Day

Question

On the 19th day, the newborn baby often wakes up crying every hour or so. After a while of holding and soothing, they fall back asleep. Could this be due to a lack of certain vitamins?

Answer

Generally, babies start taking vitamin A and D drops two weeks after birth to promote calcium absorption. The baby’s frequent waking up may be due to insufficient vitamin D intake leading to poor calcium absorption, which in turn causes an increase in neural excitability. This could be caused by inadequate feeding or a deficiency of vitamin D. It is recommended that parents pay attention to proper feeding and ensure adequate vitamin D intake, as appropriate sun exposure helps with calcium absorption.