New vitamin D guidelines released late last year suggest infants may benefit from nutritional supplements to achieve optimal health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new recommendations for infants and children about vitamin D and increased the daily intake from 200 IU to 400 IU, Examiner.com reports.

Some children, and especially breast-fed infants, may not be able to accomplish the new daily recommendation of vitamin D, according to the article. This may be a cause of concern since it has been recently reported vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious conditions such as diabetes and cancer.

While foods such as salmon and sardines are sources of the vitamin, the most abundant source is from direct sunlight. However, this may prove difficult in some regions that experience cold and mostly cloudy winter months.

Health experts have urged people to use supplements of vitamin D to get the recommended daily amount.

Dr Elena Christofides, an endocrinologist with Endocrinology Associates in Ohio, said she is "passionate" about reducing vitamin-D deficiency in the general population and recommends supplements to all her patients, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

"This is one of the greatest public-health issues that’s going to be facing us for some time," Christofides told the news provider.