Introducing Thomas & Friends™ Baby Vitamin D3 Drops

As parents, we spend those first months obsessing over every detail. Is baby feeding enough? Sleeping enough? Growing on track? But there's one nutrient that quietly slips through the net for so many families, and it's one of the most important of all: vitamin D.

Here in the UK, we simply don't get enough sunshine for most of the year to make the vitamin D our bodies need. Babies, with their delicate skin kept rightly out of direct sun, get even less. That's exactly why the NHS recommends a daily vitamin D supplement for babies from birth.

And yet, a 2019 survey found that 74% of parents of children aged 0-2 may not be giving their child a vitamin D supplement every day. Meanwhile, reported cases of rickets (a condition caused by vitamin D deficiency that most of us assumed was a thing of the past) rose by 380% across NHS England between 2019 and 2023, from 122 cases to over 580.

That's not a statistic we could ignore.

Why vitamin D matters so much in the first year

The Department of Health recommends that babies from birth to 1 year should have a daily supplement containing 10µg of vitamin D throughout the year if they're breastfed, or formula-fed and having less than 500ml of infant formula a day. From 1 to 4 years, that becomes 10µg every day. (NHS)

There's good reason for it. Vitamin D is needed for the normal growth and development of bone in children, and it contributes to the normal function of the immune system in children. It also contributes to the normal absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and to normal muscle function. In those early months, when it feels like everything is happening at once (first teeth, growth spurts, rolls, wobbly first steps), that foundation matters.

The problem isn't awareness of the guidance. It's what's sitting on the shelf.

The problem with the baby vitamin aisle

Pick up a bottle of baby vitamin drops in the UK and turn it over. Too often, you'll find a long list of ingredients that have nothing to do with vitamin D: added sugar, sweeteners, gums, preservatives and flavourings. Ingredients we'd question for ourselves, let alone for a newborn whose system is still so delicate.

One of our customers put it perfectly: "I was shocked to find that the baby drops recommended to me by my doctor were full of sugar and ingredients I wouldn't give to myself."

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient. It doesn't need sweetening, thickening or flavouring. It needs a good-quality oil to carry it, and nothing else getting in the way. So that's exactly what we made.

Enter Tonic Baby Vitamin D3 Drops

Meet Thomas & Friends™ Tonic Baby Vitamin D3 Drops: the full NHS-recommended 10µg of vitamin D3 in one precisely measured 0.5ml daily dose, carried in organic Spanish extra virgin olive oil. Just pure, powerful nutrition you can trust, from day one, with a friendly face on the box that little ones will recognise as they grow.

Here's what goes in:

• 10µg plant-derived vitamin D3 (200% NRV), the dose recommended for babies from birth. We use D3 from a plant source rather than lanolin (sheep's wool), so the drops are vegan-friendly.
• Organic Spanish extra virgin olive oil as the carrier. Because vitamin D3 is fat-soluble, it needs an oil to be absorbed. We deliberately chose organic extra virgin olive oil for its gentleness on a developing system and its clean, recognisable profile.

And just as importantly, here's what we've left out: no added sugar, no sweeteners, no artificial colours or flavours, no preservatives and no gums. What's on the label is what's in the drop.

They're certified organic, vegan-friendly and suitable from birth, whether your baby is breastfed or bottle-fed. And at around 16p a day, getting it right doesn't have to cost the earth.

Why it's worth doing every day

Vitamin D isn't a quick fix. It works quietly in the background, which is why consistency matters far more than any single moment. One drop a day supports your baby through every stage:

• Immune foundations: vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system in children.
• Strong bones, healthy teeth: vitamin D is needed for normal growth and development of bone in children, and contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.
• Muscle function: vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function, behind every reach, roll and step.
• The full NHS dose: no guesswork, no under- or over-dosing, just one 0.5ml dropper a day.

How to use it

Give your baby 0.5ml, as marked on the dropper, once a day, at whatever time suits your routine. Many parents find it easiest alongside a feed. You can give it:

• directly into baby's mouth
• onto the nipple or bottle teat before a feed, letting baby suckle
• mixed into formula or expressed breast milk
• on a clean spoon
• for older children, mixed into cool food or drinks

One bottle lasts two months. Once opened, keep it in the fridge, out of reach of children, and use within 4 months.

A quick note if you're already using other Tonic products: our Baby Multi Drops and Kids Gummies already contain 10µg of vitamin D3, so you won't need both unless a healthcare professional has recommended a higher dose.

Don't settle for less

We believe the health industry has a responsibility to do better, especially when it comes to our babies. Vitamin D is the one supplement the NHS recommends for every baby from birth. It should be the simplest thing in the world to get right, not another label to decode.

So when you're next in the baby aisle, turn the bottle over. Your baby deserves a drop with nothing to hide.

Shop Thomas & Friends™ Baby Vitamin D3 Drops now.

Food supplements should not replace a balanced, varied diet and healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated daily dose. If your child is under medical supervision, check with your doctor before use.