Dr Adeolu Arikawe, a General Physician, on Wednesday, advised pregnant women to avoid the intake of Vitamin A, as it could cause abnormalities in babies.
“A pregnant woman should avoid the intake of Vitamin A in pregnancy as much as possible because it has been identified to be one of the causes of abnormalities in some babies,” he said.
Arikawe also explained that an expectant mother should be encouraged to take some multivitamins, to boost appetite and develop immunity.
“Folic acid is necessary for the development of the foetal nervous system, which starts forming very early in pregnancy. It is important to start taking multivitamins before pregnancy to correct any form of deficiency,’’ he said.
He also advised pregnant to be taking blood building drugs for blood production, noting that most pregnant women had low red blood cell concentration.
Arikawe explained that low blood cell concentration could be harmful to the foetus, if below critical point.
“Although there is no special diet for pregnant women, some food items have to be avoided. For instance, there is risk of acquiring toxoplasmosis infection from raw or under-cooked meat. Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that does significant damage to the foetus than it does to the mother,’’ Arikawe said.