Vitamin A Requirement For Pregnancy

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Vitamin A Requirement For Pregnancy

Vitamin A is needed in increased amounts to support maternal reproductive processes, including fetal growth and development.

The increased need during gestation is small and can be provided through a balanced diet and maternal reserves from well-nourished women. In areas of endemic vitamin A deficiency (VAD), however, vitamin A supplements often must supply this need.

Severe vitamin A deficiency (VAD) causes abortions, fetal death, resorptions, and congenital defects. Night blindness is frequently reported in pregnant women living in areas where VAD is common in children.

However, even high doses of vitamin A given in early pregnancy can be unsafe. High doses of vitamin A given in the early gestational period can cause congenital defects, and reports suggest impaired growth and behavioral response rates when high doses are given later in gestation. Congenital birth defects usually occur when the high-dose supplement is taken daily for several days or weeks during the first gestational trimester. There is no evidence of acute toxicity from ingesting ß-carotene from supplements or food, especially at levels comparable to those recommended for vitamin A supplementation.

In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences established the following Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) for consumption of vitamin A by pregnant women:

Pregnant women less than 18 years of age: 2,500 IU (750 µg of retinol equivalents)
Pregnant women 19 years and older 2,567 IU (770 µg of retinol equivalents)

Fortified food products can safely be ingested during pregnancy and lactation, and vitamin A rich natural foods, such as animal liver, consumed occasionally also can be safely ingested.

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