Vitamin A & D Deficiencies

Vitamin A and D are fat-soluble vitamins. Your body has an ability to store vitamin A and D to compensate if your dietary intake falls short occasionally. If you do not consume enough vitamin A and D regularly, you may develop a deficiency in one or both of the vitamins.

Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A is essential for proper vision. Because of this, the first sign of a vitamin A deficiency is usually an inability for the eyes to adapt to darkness, or night blindness. If a vitamin A deficiency progresses, it can lead to severe eye dryness that causes damage to the cornea, a condition called xerophthalmia. According to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake, vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children.

Vitamin A Recommendations

In order to prevent a vitamin A deficiency, it is important to meet your vitamin A needs daily. Infants up to 6 months require 400 mcg of vitamin A daily, whereas infants between 7 and 12 months need 500 mcg per day. Children between 1 and 3 years need 300 mcg per day and children between 4 and 8 years need 400 mcg daily. Children ages 9 to 13 should consume 600 mcg daily. When a person reaches 14, vitamin A needs differ by gender. Male teenagers and adult men require 900 mcg of vitamin A every day, whereas female teenagers and women of the same age need 700 mcg of vitamin A daily.

Vitamin D Deficiency

The main function of vitamin D is to increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestinal tract so that the levels of these minerals in the blood remain high. High blood levels of calcium and phosphorus are important in building strong and healthy bones. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone abnormalities.

If a vitamin D deficiency occurs during childhood, it can result in a bone disease called rickets, which is characterized by weak, soft bones. A child with rickets often develops bowed legs and does not grow properly. A vitamin D deficiency in an adult can cause osteomalacia, which is the adult form of rickets. A vitamin D deficiency in adults can also lead to osteoporosis, which is characterized by brittle bones that are prone to fractures.

Vitamin D Recommendations

To prevent a vitamin D deficiency and ensure that your bones are able to form properly, it is important to consume the recommended amounts of vitamin D daily. Infants up to 12 months require 10 mcg of vitamin D every day. Anyone between the ages of 1 and 70 needs 15 mcg of vitamin D daily. Adults over the age of 70 have slightly increased vitamin D needs, at 20 mcg per day.