Vitamin A For Children: Right Dosage, Benefits, And Side Effects

Image: MomJunction Design Team

It is important to provide a diet rich in Vitamin A for children. Vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble essential vitamins available in the human diet in two forms, preformed vitamin A (retinoids) and provitamin A (carotenoids). Retinoids are found in animal products, while carotenoids are available in plant foods.

Both these forms perform different functions in the body. It is important for you to include a variety of foods in your child’s diet to meet the vitamin A requirement, especially because young children are at risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Read this post to learn about the importance of vitamin A for kids, how much they need, and various food sources of this vitamin.

Why Do Children Need Vitamin A?

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Vitamin A is one of the essential vitamins that our body cannot manufacture, and thus, it needs to be included in the diet for improving health. This micronutrient has an important role because it (1) (2):

1. Supports normal growth and development in children.

2. Helps maintain healthy teeth, bones, and soft tissues.

3. Is required to maintain the structural integrity of all the surface tissues, such as skin, to combat infections and facilitate wound healing.

4. Supports vision and eye functions.

5. Aids in maintaining a healthy immune system due to its antioxidant properties. A healthy immune system is vital for protection against pathogens.

6. Helps in proper functioning of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.

Apart from these, there are several other physiological functions, such as management of oxidative stress.  

How Much Vitamin A Do Kids Need?

The following table provides the recommended dietary allowance (daily intake) of vitamin A in micrograms of retinolⁱA fat-soluble form of vitamin A naturally found in plant and animal-based foods, also available as a dietary supplement activity equivalents (mcg/day RAE) for children of various age groups (3).

Note: Retinol Activity Equivalent (RAE) indicates vitamin A of all types, from all sources, that are eventually converted by the body into retinol. 1mcg  RAE = 1mcg retinol / 2mcg supplemental beta-carotene / 12mcg dietary beta-carotene / 24mcg dietary alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthinⁱA carotenoid and precursor of vitamin A found in foods, fruits, and vegetables Source: National Institutes of Health

Your child can meet this nutrient requirement by consuming a well-balanced, healthy diet. A well-balanced diet includes food from various food sources in moderation.   

Food Sources of Vitamin A

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Preformed vitamin A, i.e., retinoids, like retinoic acid, are found in dairy products, meat, and fish. It is also available in fortified foods and vitamin supplements. Provitamin A, i.e., carotenoids, including alpha-carotene and beta carotene, are found in fruits and vegetables. The table below shows some of the best vitamin A sources to include in a child’s diet.

Here’s a list of healthy foods for kids that contain significant amounts of vitamin A and other vital nutrients (3).

*Percent DV = Daily value percent is the amount of nutrient available in one serving of food. For example, if the label lists 25% for vitamin A, it means that one serving provides 25% of the vitamin A you need each day.  Note: Lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are some other types of carotenoids found in food that are not converted to vitamin A. 

Some fortified foods, like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and juices, contain added preformed vitamin A, an active form of vitamin A easily absorbed by the body.

Vitamin A overdose can occur due to excess intake of vitamin A supplements and excess consumption of liver. It is best to limit liver intake to once in a week and only serve small portions (4). If your child is on vitamin A supplements or is consuming other animal sources of vitamin A, like fish oil or eggs, then do not feed them liver.

Quick tip

Make vegetables and fruits look beautiful on the platter. Serve variety, slice them up for a twist, or put them on a unique dish. Try a different fruit or vegetable once a week for picky eaters.

Signs And Symptoms Of Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) or hypovitaminosis A, can be due to lack of a well-balanced diet, fat malabsorption or liver disorders. Low vitamin A level in the body leads to deficiency, which can present the following signs (5).

• General fatigue
• Dry skin, rashes, acne, breakouts, dry hair or hair loss
• Recurrent infections marking poor immune response
• Increased risk of anemia
• Slow growth and development
• Throat and chest infections
• Poor wound healing
• Ocular effectsⁱDiverse symptoms or complications of the eye occurring due to medical conditions or medication side effects

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Severe vitamin A deficiency can further cause the following signs.

1. Blurry vision or poor eyesight

2. Sensitivity to bright light

3. Irregular patches on the white of the eyes

4. Night blindness (nyctalopia), the earliest manifestation of xerophthalmia, where the night vision is affected

5. Severe dryness of the eye (xerophthalmia); if untreated can lead to blindness

If you observe any of the above signs of vitamin A deficiency in your child, then consult a pediatrician.

What Is Vitamin A Supplement?

According to the US National Institutes of Health, a dietary supplement is a substance that adds a nutrient to a person’s diet to minimize the risk of health problems due to lack of adequate nutrition. A supplement can be used to fill the nutritional gap in an individual’s diet (6).

Here are some important points about vitamin A supplements you should know before using them for your child (7).

1. Do not use the supplements without discussing it with your child’s doctor.

2. Vitamin A is available as part of multivitamin supplements as well as standalone vitamin A dietary supplements. These supplements come in multiple forms, such as tablets, capsules, gummies, powders, drinks, and energy bars.

Image: IStock

3. Beta-carotene supplementation is more effective than an equal amount of beta-carotene from food.

4. Read the label or fact sheet to know the form and amount of vitamin A in the supplement.

5. The nutrition label also tells you about other active ingredients, fillers, binders, and flavorings present in the supplement. It is crucial to note these ingredients as their safety and efficacy in children need to be checked before use.

6. Oral vitamin A dietary supplements should be taken with a meal to enhance their absorption.

Vitamin A supplementation is a decision that you should take in consultation with a healthcare provider. Never give any supplement to the child without consulting the doctor. Most supplements do not cause any side effects in children when the recommended age-specific dose is administered. However, high doses can lead to vitamin A overdose.

Vitamin A Overdose And Its Side Effects

Being a fat-soluble vitamin, the body stores the extra vitamin A primarily in the liver and releases it when needed. However, in the case of excess storage, vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A) can occur due to excessive consumption of preformed vitamin A (retinoids) and not provitamin A (carotenoids).

Some of the symptoms of chronic toxicity are (5):

• Dry itchy skin or skin irritation/rashes or desquamation (peeling skin)
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Abdominal pain
• Dizziness

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• Bone abnormalities
• Increased probability of bone fractures
• Alopecia (hair loss)
• Irritability, drowsiness, dizziness, headache

In severe cases, hypervitaminosis A could also lead to liver damage, coma, and death.

Quick fact

High doses of vitamin A in pregnancy may cause congenital disabilities, such as abnormalities in the baby’s lungs, heart, eyes, and skull development (11).

Upper intake limit of vitamin A

The following table shows the upper intake limit of vitamin A for children of different age groups (8).

Infographic: Foods Rich In Vitamin A For Children

Vitamin A is a crucial nutrient for children’s healthy growth and development. But make sure not to give your child too little or too much vitamin A, as excess can be harmful. So, scroll through the infographic below for rich sources of vitamin A for children.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Vitamin A For Kids: Right Dosage Benefits & Side Effects

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

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Seeemaa BudhrajaDDHE & DNHE

Seeemaa Budhraja is a Delhi-based dietitian and nutritionist. She specializes in weight and lifestyle management. She is a healthy recipe designer, works as a health motivator and wellness coach as well. She has worked as a slimming head with one of the top organizations in India.

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Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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Rohit Garoo is a writer-turned-editor with over 9 years of experience in content writing, editing, and content marketing. He did his bachelors in Science at St. Xavier's College, Hyderabad, and masters in Business Administration at Osmania University.

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Shinta is a biotechnologist who is highly intrigued by science and technology. She holds a master's degree in Biotechnology from Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences and a PG Diploma in cellular and molecular diagnostics from Manipal University.

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