The main adverse effects associated with excessive vitamin A intake, particularly at the beginning of the first quarter of pregnancy, are congenital malformations involving the central nervous and cardiovascular systems and spontaneous abortion [12,13].
During pregnancy, it's important not to get too much preformed vitamin A, which can cause birth defects and liver toxicity in high doses. (However, it's safe and beneficial to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables high in carotenoids.)
How long does vitamin A stay in your body after you take it? As a fat-soluble vitamin, the vitamin A you consume can stay in your body for weeks, months, or even years.
The reference range for vitamin A is 20-60 mcg/dL, and a toxic level is higher than 60-100 mcg/dL. Obtain a complete blood count (CBC) to rule out leukopenia. Also perform calcium, glucose, and liver function tests (LFTs). levels are affected by liver stores and dietary intake of vitamin A.
Specifically, pregnant women should receive up to 10,000 IU vitamin A daily or up to 25,000 IU vitamin A weekly as an oral liquid, oil-based preparation of retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate. Supplementation should be continued for a minimum of 12 wk during pregnancy until delivery.
If you're pregnant, you should avoid supplements and multivitamins containing vitamin A (retinol) - as too much of it can harm your baby's development. You should also avoid liver and liver products (including fish liver oil), as they are high in vitamin A.
For example, high doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, or vitamin E can be dangerous. It's best not to take these vitamins as supplements in pregnancy. It's also best to avoid foods that may be very high in vitamin A, including liver and liver products such as pâté.
Symptoms and Signs of Vitamin A Toxicity
Drowsiness, irritability, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are common. Sometimes the skin subsequently peels. Early symptoms of chronic toxicity are sparsely distributed, coarse hair; alopecia of the eyebrows; dry, rough skin; dry eyes; and cracked lips.
The risk of birth defects owing to synthetic vitamin A analogs has already been documented in humans, and recently the ingestion of excess vitamin A (25,000 IU or more) as retinol/retinyl esters during pregnancy has been associated with some birth defects in a small number of case reports, although it is not known that ...
A person can often reverse hypervitaminosis A by stopping taking excess amounts of vitamin A. This may mean that they can no longer take multivitamins or vitamin A supplements. If there are no complications, a person will usually recover quickly.
Because of the teratogenic effects secondary to excessive vitamin A intake, the WHO recommends as safe during pregnancy a maximum dose of up to 10,000 IU daily or 25,000 IU weekly after the first 60 days of gestation [10,12,38].
The liver stores vitamins and minerals for the times when they may be lacking in the diet. It can store enough vitamin A and vitamin B12 for four years, and enough vitamin D for four months.
When vitamin A intake was from foods alone, the preva- lence of cranial-neural-crest defects was 0.52% for 0 to 5000 IU/d, 0.62% for 5001 to 10 000 IU/d, and 1.06% for > 10 001 IU/d; for vitamin A from supplements, the prevalence rate was higher (0.46% for 0 to 5000 IU/d, 0.51% for 5001 to 8000 EJ/d, 1.18% for 8001 to ...
Folic Acid is An Important Vitamin
It's especially important for women who could become pregnant because folic acid can help prevent birth defects.
A growing body of research demonstrates that stress before and during pregnancy is associated with poor birth outcomes and subsequent poor health outcomes for children. supports research, programs and policies which address risk factors to prevent stress-related pregnancy complications.
As much as we need Vitamin A during pregnancy, multiple studies have found that too much Vitamin A can be toxic, and cause developmental malformations, especially when in the form retinoic acid and 13-cis-retinoic acid.
Nutrition Noteworthy
Taking Vitamin A in doses larger than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) can cause deleterious effects on the developing fetus during the critical period of embryogenesis namely Neural Tube Defects (NTDs).
Abstract. Background: Studies in animals indicate that natural forms of vitamin A are teratogenic. Synthetic retinoids chemically similar to vitamin A cause birth defects in humans; as in animals, the defects appear to affect tissues derived from the cranial neural crest.
6 Symptoms may include kidney stones, nausea, recurrent vomiting, constipation, excessive thirst, excessive urination, confusion and weight loss. Taking high doses has also been linked to cancer risk, heart problems, and an increased risk of bone fractures.
Any ingredient in a multiple vitamin supplement can be toxic in large amounts, but the most serious risk comes from iron or calcium. Additional risks are associated with large or toxic doses of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A.
Owing to their ability to accumulate in the body, fat-soluble vitamins have a higher potential for toxicity than do water-soluble vitamins. Iron-containing vitamins are the most toxic, especially in pediatric acute ingestions.
It's pretty difficult to consume too much vitamin C during pregnancy due to your body excreting any excess amounts within a few hours of consumption. Vitamin C is generally considered safe; however, high doses of vitamin C can upset your stomach and cause diarrhea and nausea.
During pregnancy you need folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin D, choline, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin C. See the below table for recommended amounts. Fortified cereal, enriched bread and pasta, peanuts, dark green leafy vegetables, orange juice, beans.
What happens if I take too much vitamin A? Some research suggests that having more than an average of 1.5 mg (1,500 µg) a day of vitamin A over many years may affect your bones, making them more likely to fracture when you're older.