Vitamin A and its congeners

Vitamin A (retinol) is a fat-soluble vitamin that is necessary for cell growth and differentiation. Excess vitamin A has been associated with teratogenic effects in animals and humans. Because vitamin A deficiency is very uncommon in the industrialized world, the current recommendation is that routine vitamin A supplementation is not necessary. If vitamin A supplements are used, they should be limited to less than 5,000 IU per day. Systemic administration of the naturally occurring retinoid tretinoin has been associated with birth defects, fetal resorption, and stillbirths in animals; however, topical use is not associated with increased birth defects and is classified as a category B drug during pregnancy. The synthetic retinoids isotretinoin, etretinate, and etretin are strictly contraindicated during pregnancy (category X) as they have been associated with teratogenic syndromes in humans. In addition, owing to the prolonged elimination half- life of aromatic retinoids, effective contraception should be used for at least 2 years following discontinuation of treatment with these drugs.