Vitamin A during pregnancy

There is a whole host of vitamins and minerals that play a role in helping your baby to develop and grow throughout pregnancy. All those vitamins can be quite confusing. What do you need vitamin A for while you are pregnant? How much vitamin A do you need during pregnancy, and where can you get it? Let's take a look at all these things.

What is vitamin A, and why do you need it?

Vitamin A is a fat-soluable vitamin, which is stored inside the liver and which we need for eye function. There are various forms of vitamin A, including retinol and carotenes. During pregnancy, vitamin A is necessary to facilitate the growth of the fetal heart, lungs, bones, kidneys, the eyes and the central nervous system! That is one long list, isn't it? Reason enough to make sure you do not have any vitamin A deficiencies during your pregnancy!

How much do you need, and where do you get it from?

Different groups and ages of people need different amounts of vitamin A. The daily recommended amount of vitamin A in standard measurements, so-called retinol activity equivalents, is 770 micrograms for pregnant women who are 19 years of age and older. Vitamin A appears in meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. The carotenoid version also appears in vegetables and fruit. Keep in mind that it is possible to get too much of the preformed variety of vitamin A. The average American does get enough vitamin A from their usual diet. In other countries, deficiencies in vitamin A are less uncommon. If you are at all worried about your vitamin A levels, ask your healthcare provider about it at a prenatal appointment. Too much vitamin A can actually be rather harmful, so you might be more worried about an excess of vitamin A than a deficiency!