Vitamin A is a term for a group of related compounds such as beta-carotene and retinol. Your body requires vitamin A for healthy bones, skin, soft tissue and eyes. Breastfeeding women have the highest vitamin A requirements. A deficiency in a breastfeeding woman and her infant can result in problems like iron-deficiency, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Features
Although a vitamin A deficiency is not common in the United States because of the variety of foods available here, it is still common in some developing countries in impoverished populations with a limited diet. Normal vision and the health of the skin, mucous membranes and immune system require vitamin A, according to eMedTV. Deficiencies in children are associated with an increased rate of respiratory disease, diarrhea and death from infections.
Blindness
Vitamin A deficiency represents the major preventable cause for blindness among children in the developing world. Night blindness, xerophthalmia or dry eye, ulcers in the cornea or covering of the eye, and scarring can occur. This can lead ultimately to the loss of sight. Vitamin A is also required for normal growth and development in children. Since 1987, the World Heath Organization has encouraged giving vitamin A with measles vaccinations and supplementing mothers within eight weeks after childbirth.
Requirements
Dietary sources rich in vitamin A include animal foods like cod liver oil and dairy foods, and plants like green, yellow and orange vegetables. Vitamin A supplements such as retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate and beta-carotene are also widely available. A breastfeeding woman requires 4,000 to 4,333 International Units, or IU, of vitamin A every day, more than any other population group. The recommended dietary allowance for a normal adult is about 2,333 IU.
Toxicity
Your body can store fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, unlike water-soluble vitamins. This means it is possible to accumulate enough in your body to cause symptoms of toxicity if you either take a high dose over a short time period, or a lower dose over an extended period. While acute toxicity is rare, chronic toxicity can include symptoms like loss of appetite, bone and joint pain, liver damage and dry itchy skin.
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