Vitamin A & Pregnancy
Article Highlights
- The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A for pregnant women is 2500 to 2565 IU per day.
- As little as 3 to 5 times this amount may cause birth defects.
Vitamin A in doses as little as three to five times the RDA can cause mutations in fetuses.11 Pregnant women need 2500 to 2565 IU per day. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that when pregnant women consume 10,000 IU or more of vitamin A, the risk of birth defects at least doubles. Vulnerability is greatest in the first trimester. Birth defects include hydrocephalus, encephalocele, eye, urinary tract and bone malformations.
11Rothman KJ, et al. Teratogenicity of high vitamin A intake. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:1369-73.