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
Meg
Is it ok for me to give my 3 year old the mixture of fermented cod liver oil and butter oil and what is your recommended dose.
jamie
I read that vitamin E needs to be given with the fclo. What is your opinion on this?
Orthomol Immun vitamin c deficiency
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Jessica
I give my 10-month olds 1/2 tsp FCLO daily. Can I give them high vitamin butter oil, too? About 1/3 their dosage of FCLO? Thank you!
Denise
Hi there,
Can Fermented cod liver oil be given to a child with cod allergies? I hear the allergy is usually to the proteins in the fish, not the liver so I’m curious as to whether It’s safe.
Thanks,
Denise
amanda
We started taking Carlson’s cod liver oil earlier this year before learning about it being unapproved by WAPF now. I hate to waste the money and the remaining CLO. DO you think it is ok to continue taking it until it is finished?
KK
Hi Sarah 🙂
Why take the FCLO in liquid form instead of capsule for an adult? I understand using the liquid for a baby….How much should a 1yr old get?
Mags
The liquid is much cheaper than the capsule.
Kaitlyn
For my 7-month old, I use an eye dropper to put 2-4 drops of CLO per spoonful of mashed bananas. Works great for us. The reason I don’t completely mix all of the CLO into the bowl of mashed banana is to prevent the overwhelming fish flavor. I like to keep some of the spoonful to be all banana flavor. We’ll gradually build up his tolerance.
Kaitlyn
Also, I use the orange flavored CLO from Green Pastures.
Kristin
Hi Sarah. I have a couple questions abou this. First one is I have a son with severe disabilities. He has a feeding tube and recieves everything by the tube. I have been giving him a blenderized diet for about 2 years now. He gets all the traditional foods, with the exception of dairy, nuts, eggs and gluten. I do include bone broths, beef, chicken, liver, pork, fermented veggies, soaked grains, fruits and veggies, coconut oil, coconut milk and some seeds-chia, flax, sesame. SO anyway mmy question is this…I’ve been told to not give him CLO because it stores in the fat and for someone who is not moblie(cannot move on his own, though does go into positioning equipment daily) can be poisened by the build-up in the fat. The person who told me this is a practicing dietician, though she does lean more towards conventional doet including lowfat everything, unsoaked grain and so on. His doctors really have no opinion either way so I’m torn. My son, who is 4 by the way, is also scheduled for surgery in a few weeks. The brand I have of CLO says do not give to people who are anticipating surgery…what to do, what to do? Next question is do you have a recipe for liver pate? I find my other kids aren’t crazy about it and I can’t afford to buy so much CLO. And is it only chicken liver, because I usually give cows liver. Thanks so much for your time and for your website. You’ve changed the way I feed my family and look at food forever!
kristen
what about a 7month old baby? i just bought the carlson cod liver oil, lemon flav ithink.. how much is it ok to give him and how often? i havent been able to find the green pastures and the carlsons was highly reccomeended(i am totally a newbie to all of this)…. also you mentioned homemade formula? i stopped being able to breastfeed couple months ago and had no idea this was an option? where would you reccomend a reciepie? or more info! thanks! LOVED the blog!