Vitamin A, pregnancy, and oral contraceptives
Wild, J.
JAMA 228(1): 114
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0098-7484 PMID: 12257267 Document Number: 80080
It has been shown that women receiving oral contraceptives have increased levels of serum vitamin A. High vitamin A levels may constitute a teratogenic hazard. Women who conceive soon after discontinuing oral contraceptive therapy may be especially at risk to this hazard. An increase in vitamin A levels in women taking oral contraceptives has been confirmed. During early pregnancy there is no significant difference in vitamin A levels between women who have recently been taking oral contraceptives and those who have not. The authors were not able to demonstrate that either taking oral contraceptives shortly before pregnancy or a high vitamin A level during the first trimester of pregnancy, comparable to that of a woman taking oral contraceptives, has any detrimental effect on the outcome of pregnancy. It seems unlikely that women conceiving soon after discontinuing oral contraceptive, has any detrimental effect on the outcome of pregnancy. It seems unlikely that women conceiving soon after discontinuing oral contraceptive therapy run any teratogenic risk from increased vitamin A levels.