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Vitamin A during pregnancy
1The School of Nutritional Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Insights
Vitamin A deficiency impacts children and women in developing nations. Careful management of vitamin A is crucial during pregnancy to prevent birth defects and ensure infant health.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Maternal and Child Health
Background:
- Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient vital for health across all life stages.
- Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is prevalent in developing countries, affecting an estimated 40% of children.
- Awareness is shifting from preschool children to include women of reproductive age and infants as at-risk groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on vitamin A status and requirements throughout the lifespan.
- To highlight the risks associated with both deficiency and excess vitamin A during early fetal development.
- To emphasize the importance of maternal vitamin A for fetal development, birth, and lactation.
Main Methods:
- This study presents a comprehensive review of existing scientific literature.
- It synthesizes current knowledge on vitamin A's role in human health.
- Prospects for future research directions are also discussed.
Main Results:
- Vitamin A deficiency is a significant public health issue, particularly in developing regions.
- Both insufficient and excessive vitamin A exposure during early gestation can lead to teratogenic effects.
- Adequate maternal vitamin A status is critical for optimal fetal development and preparation for parturition and lactation.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin A's essential role necessitates careful management from infancy through pregnancy.
- Addressing vitamin A deficiency in vulnerable populations, including women and infants, is a public health priority.
- Further research is needed to optimize vitamin A intake strategies and understand its complex roles throughout life.
Abstract:
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient throughout life. In areas of developing countries where vitamin A deficiency is endemic, an estimated 40% of the children are likely to be sub clinically deficient of the vitamin. Yet, the traditional view that preschool age children represent the main population at risk of vitamin A deficiency has been replaced by the growing awareness that sub clinical and even clinical vitamin A deficiency also occurs in women of reproductive age and infants less than 6 month of age. During the period of early foetal development the supply of vitamin A must be carefully managed to ensure that the developing foetus is exposed to neither too little not too much vitamin A because either condition can have teratogenic consequences. Towards the end of gestation, adequate maternal vitamin A status and dietary intakes are important to maximize the vitamin A transferred to the foetus in preparation for parturition and lactation. A review of the current knowledge and prospects for future research is presented.