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.
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. Â
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 Â
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
Hello there I’m glad I found this blog as I’m a soon to be father in about 7 months and once my little one is old enough I will definitely be giving them cod liver oil.
I was watching the food network the show Chef at Home and the host showed that if a child has an aversion to fishy tastes to simply mix the proper amount into something that has a stronger more pleasant taste. His son was a little older do he mixed the Oil into a homemade berry smoothy for him.
We plan on making homemade organic food for our little one and are going to mix it into that and mothers milk.
My concern about CLO is that it falls under the category of moderate levels of mercury and Krill is the lowest. I have read the “myths about mercury” from Green Pastures and now am even more concerned about mercury. They talk about mercury levels being lower then in the past, and from my understanding isnt the mercury levels due to coal plants, gold mining and volcanos. If anything industrial coal plants have increased and so has gold mining. How can I trust green pastures if they refer documents from the FDA.
My baby had severe eczema and I started giving her CLO (Carlson’s, cuz I didn’t know any better) and it cleared up in a WEEK!!! This thing is AWESOME! I will continue giving it to her but I’ll switch to the green partures. Thanks for the article!
i started my baby on green pastures blue ice fermented high vitamin cod liver oil at the beginning of the 4th month. before the midday feeding, usually around noon, i lay him on his back (to keep gravity on my side to avoid spitting out), i gently open his mouth by pressing down on his chin and slowly administer with a dropper (purchased at an online chemistry store). i give about 1.5 ml (0.75 ml at a time) making sure to get it in his mouth without shooting it down his throat to avoid choking. he swallows it as it mixes with his saliva. don’t put too much in their mouth at once because they’ll push some out with their tongue. i have found that 1 ml is too much at once for a 4 month old. i use 2×1 ml droppers pulling up about 0.75 ml into the dropper each time so i don’t contaminate the clo bottle. i dab around his mouth with a napkin (i heard getting it on clothing and burp rags causes them to smell even after washing) and then i wait a few minutes with my napkin on the ready before i try to breast feed him. he’s been teething and refuses to eat sometimes so i haven’t been able to wash clo down with milk most times but that doesn’t seem to bother him. he is a little puzzled at the novelty but does not protest or cry. i’ll add that i am very neutral when doing this as opposed to showing my pleasure and excitement that he is cooperating. his spit up does not smell like clo or seem to effect him any differently so it seems to be absorbed quickly once swallowed. this has worked for me and i’ll stick to this daily regimen until he’s old enough for me to put it in a sippy cup or take it off a spoon or whatever i decide at the time.
I am currently giving my 4 month old a 1/2 tsp of Green Pasture’s FCLO (non-flavored) each day. My question is when or if I should be giving him the butter also? Both myself and 2 yr old take the Royal Blend and Skate. Thanks for your help on health!
Hi Martina, I am starting my 6 month old on the same thing but I have no idea how to feed it to her. I have tried putting it into her formula but she ends up not drinking much probably because of the taste, plus I am not sure if it withstands some warmth of the milk or the food. How do you feed your 4 month old?
Thanks for the information on CLO. I live in India and I dont know whether the CLO by Green Pastures is available. We have the Seven Seas brand of CLO globules (gel covered). Could these serve the purpose? Can CLO be massaged instead of giving it orally?
Hi Sarah, I had the same question as Regina above … is it ok to give the high vitamin butter/FCLO *blend* to an 8 month old? I have given her straight FCLO, but I don’t see any information on whether or not to give the blend. Thank you.
Great to read everyone’s ideas. I started taking FCLO when I was pregnant. I thought I’d just take it straight but it made me throw up, then I tried it mixed with juice but I felt most of it was sticking to the glass. Finally I bought some empty gel caps from the health food store and I now make my own little pills with FCLO and butter oil in them. I came across this post because I’m getting ready to start my 5 month old on FCLO and was wondering about dosage. Thanks for all the input.
We add our dose to a little bit of chocolate milk and chug it down in one gulp.
As recommended by you, I have purchased the FCLO from Green pastries. I did it before reading through the comments on this post and the heal your kids cavity post. I didn’t realize how many capsules I would have to take! I also see your point about separating the two, so in the future (which is probably sooner than anticipated) I will get them separate. Can anyone recommend the EXACT products they use from Green Pastures? I would rather not get the liquid, as I am transitioning my family over and the fewer “bad” experiences with these new habits, the better, BUT I do have a 19 month old and it seems I should be giving him a tsp/day as well, so what is the best flavor? Also I am very nervous about all the “mainstream” buzz about CLO having too much vitamin D. Although I realize natural and synthetic are two different stories, especially with my 19 month old it still makes me hesitant use too much. What is the best way to be sure we are not getting too much?