Vitamin A & Pregnancy - Vitamin A Foods for Pregnancy - Vitamin A During Pregnancy

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Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnany is very important. During this time, your body needs additional nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In fact, you need 350–500 extra calories each day during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Vitamin rich food is very important during pregnancy. But you should never go over board as well. Your doctor must have prescribed you certain prenatal vitamin tablet to consume. Apart from that consuming certain foods helps too. In this article lets discuss about vitamin A foods, health benefits and side effects of too much vitamin A.

vitamin A takes on a bigger role. Here are a few benefits of taking vitamin a while pregnant: (source)

• Vitamin A aids in the development of your baby’s heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, and bones in the womb.
• It also strengthens your baby’s circulatory and respiratory systems.
• Vitamin A is especially important during the last stages of a pregnancy. It works to repair tissues and helps the new mother fight infections.

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Recommended Vitamin A For Pregnant Women:

You don’t need vitamin A every day. Instead, try and get the average dose in the period of a week.

• A pregnant woman needs 750 to 770 micrograms (approximately 2,565 IU) vitamin A every day.
• A breastfeeding woman requires 1200-1300 micrograms (approximately 4,330 IU) vitamin A per day.

Vitamin A Rich Foods During Pregnancy:

If you want a healthy pregnancy, you need to eat right. To ensure a balanced pregnancy diet, include the following foods. These are good sources of vitamin A as well as other important nutrients.

1 medium baked sweet potato - 1,096 mcg (21,909 IU)

1/2 cup cooked carrot slices         - 665 mcg (13,286 IU)

1 slice pumpkin pie                         - 596 mcg (4,567 IU)

1/2 cup boiled spinach                 - 573 mcg (11,458 IU)

1/2 cup cooked butternut squash    - 572 mcg (11,434 IU)

One medium raw carrot                 - 509 mcg (10,191 IU)

1 cup nonfat fortified milk         - 338 mcg (1,131 IU)

One packet oatmeal, prepared with water - 329 (1,099 IU)

1 cup cantaloupe cubes                 - 270 mcg (5,411 IU)

1 cup raw spinach                         - 141 mcg (2,813 IU)

1 large egg, scrambled                 - 87 mcg (321 IU)

1/2 cup frozen peas                         - 84 mcg (1,680 IU)

1 ounce cheddar cheese                  - 75 mcg (284 IU)

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How Much Vitamin A Is Too Much?

Yes, you can overdose on vitamin A! Your body needs a limited amount of Retinol. Overdo it, and you can risk a number of health issues, including:

• Abnormal softening of the skull bone in infants
• Blurred vision
• Bone pain or swelling
• Bulging fontanelle in infants
• Changes in consciousness
• Decreased appetite
• Dizziness
• Double vision in young children
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Hypercalcemia
• Irritability
• Liver damage
• Nausea
• Poor weight gain in infants and children
• Skin and hair changes
• Cracking at corners of the mouth
• Hair loss
• Higher sensitivity to sunlight
• Oily skin and hair
• Spontaneous fracture
• Vomiting

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This is why pregnant women and women who are trying to conceive are advised to stay off certain acne treatments because they contain high doses of vitamin A.

Many studies have shown that pregnant women who take an overdose of vitamin A during the first seven weeks of their pregnancy can cause serious damage to their unborn child.

A woman who consumes more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily is more likely to give birth to a baby with head, heart, brain and spinal cord malfunctions.

Tips On Consumption Of Vitamin A During Pregnancy:

1. Avoid taking prenatal vitamins that contain vitamin A.
2. Limit your daily intake of vitamin A to 6000 IUs during the first two months of your pregnancy.
3. Make sure you are consuming at least 3500 IU of Vitamin A every day.
4. Try to get most of your vitamin A from your diet. Eat bright colored fruits and vegetables.