Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year of Publication2016
Issuing InstitutionWHO
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
Context specific recommendation
Only in specific contexts
Vitamin A supplementation is only recommended for pregnant women in areas where vitamin A deficiency is a severe public health problem, to prevent night blindness.
Notes and Remarks
- 1.This recommendation supersedes the previous WHO recommendation found in the 2011 Guideline: vitamin A supplementation in pregnant women
- 2.Vitamin A is not recommended to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes.
- 3.Vitamin A deficiency is a severe public health problem if 5% or more of women in a population have a history of night blindness in their most recent pregnancy in the previous 3–5 years that ended in a live birth, or if 20% or more of pregnant women have a serum retinol level below 0.70 μmol/L
- 4.Determination of vitamin A deficiency as a public health problem involves estimating the prevalence of deficiency in a population by using specific biochemical and clinical indicators of vitamin A status.
- 5.Pregnant women should be encouraged to receive adequate nutrition, which is best achieved through consumption of a healthy, balanced diet, and to refer to WHO guidance on healthy eating
- 6.In areas where supplementation is indicated for vitamin A deficiency, it can be given daily or weekly. Existing WHO guidance suggests a dose of up to 10 000 IU vitamin A per day, or a weekly dose of up to 25 000 IU
- 7.A single dose of a vitamin A supplement greater than 25 000 IU is not recommended as its safety is uncertain. Furthermore, a single dose of a vitamin A supplement greater than 25 000 IU might be teratogenic if consumed between day 15 and day 60 from conception
- 8.There is no demonstrated benefit from taking vitamin A supplements in populations where habitual daily vitamin A intakes exceed 8000 IU or 2400 μg, and the potential risk of adverse events increases with higher intakes (above 10 000 IU) if supplements are routinely taken by people in these populations.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Guideline
WHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year2023
InstitutionWorld Health Organization