Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for reproduction. Being pregnant slightly increases your need for vitamin A, since the vitamin helps cells divide and regulates normal immune function. A variety of foods contain vitamin A, and your prenatal vitamin should provide adequate amounts. Talk with your physician before you take a prenatal vitamin to make sure you pick one that is right for you.
Proper Dosage During Pregnancy
Since vitamin A is fat-soluble, it is stored in your body. Prior to conceiving, consume the recommended 700 mcg of vitamin A each day to get your vitamin A stores up. Throughout your pregnancy, you need 750 mcg of vitamin A, which increases to 1,200 mcg while you are breastfeeding, the Office of Dietary Supplements advises. If you take a vitamin A supplement, take it with food containing fat so you absorb it. Vitamin A can become toxic at levels above 2,800 mcg, so talk with your physician first to determine the right dosage for you.
Types of Vitamin A
Vitamin A is available in several forms, including retinol, retinal and retinoic acid, which are all known as retinoids. Naturally occurring vitamin A in foods is called preformed vitamin A. This type of vitamin A is absorbed in the form of retinol, one of the most active and absorbable forms of vitamin A. Milk is an excellent source of preformed vitamin A. Beta carotene and other types of carotenoids can be converted into retinol via a series of biochemical reactions, although this method is not efficient and has limited bioavailability in your body. Provitamin A carotenoid, found in fruits and veggies, can be also be converted into retinol. This type of vitamin A accounts for about one-fourth of the total vitamin A you consume.
Importance of Vitamin A
Consuming adequate amounts of vitamin A while you are pregnant is crucial for fetal growth. Vitamin A plays a role in cell differentiation, which determines if the cell will become a blood, muscle or brain cell. It also influences hormones that affect gene expression within the nucleus of cells. Vitamin A in the form of retinol and retinoic acid is responsible for development of the embryo. As the fetus develops, retinoic acid aids in the formation of limbs, heart, eyes and ears. Because your blood volume increases during pregnancy, you need more vitamin A to aid in the formation of new red blood cells.
Toxicity and Deficiency
Having either toxic or deficient levels of vitamin A in your body has similar effects during pregnancy. Vitamin A toxicity occurs when you absorb too much preformed vitamin A in the form of retinol. Excessive retinol in your system can lead to birth defects, but this usually occurs in doses over 3,000 mcg, the Linus Pauling Institute explains. Having a deficiency of vitamin A during pregnancy can also lead to birth defects, including malformation of limbs and heart.
Food Sources
Consuming certain foods helps you get the vitamin A you need. Both plant and animal foods provide vitamin A, but animal sources contain a more absorbable form of the vitamin. Milk, cheese and eggs are all rich in vitamin A. Plant sources include carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, apricots and sweet potatoes. Additionally, you can get some vitamin A by consuming fortified foods, such as breakfast cereal, oatmeal and bread.
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