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Is vitamin C safe during pregnancy?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

NIH gives 85 mg of vitamin C a day in pregnancy for women 19 and older and sets the upper limit at 2,000 mg. MedlinePlus says large doses of vitamin C supplements are not recommended in pregnancy. A Cochrane review of 29 trials in 24,300 women found no clear effect on stillbirth or preterm birth.1,2,3

Key facts

  • NIH gives 85 mg of vitamin C a day in pregnancy, 80 mg for teens, and an upper limit of 2,000 mg a day, or 1,800 mg for teens.1,4
  • MedlinePlus says large doses of vitamin C supplements are not recommended in pregnancy because they can lead to a shortage of vitamin C in the baby after delivery.2
  • A Cochrane review of 29 trials found no clear difference in stillbirth, preterm birth or pre-eclampsia with vitamin C alone or with other supplements.3
  • In that review, term rupture of the membranes was more likely when vitamin C was combined with vitamin E, with a risk ratio of 1.73 (1.34 to 2.23).3
  • NIH says people with hereditary hemochromatosis should avoid vitamin C supplements, because high doses could worsen iron overload.1

What do NIH and MedlinePlus say about vitamin C in pregnancy?

NIH sets the pregnancy amount at 85 mg a day and keeps the same upper limit as for other adults. The amount is for food and supplements together, and NIH says people who smoke need 35 mg more.1,4

The recommended amount is 85 mg a day during pregnancy and 120 mg while breastfeeding, or 80 mg and 115 mg for teens.1

The upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg a day from food and supplements combined, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is 1,800 mg for teens aged 14 to 18 and lower for children. It does not apply to people given vitamin C as medical treatment by a doctor.1,4

MedlinePlus is more cautious than the NIH tables alone. It says that amounts above 2,000 mg a day are not recommended, and that large doses of vitamin C supplements are not recommended in pregnancy because they can lead to a shortage of vitamin C in the baby after delivery.2

What did the Cochrane review of vitamin C in pregnancy find?

The review pooled 29 trials with 24,300 women. Vitamin C alone or with other supplements, compared with placebo or nothing, did not clearly change stillbirth, with a risk ratio of 1.15 (0.89 to 1.49), preterm birth (0.99) or pre-eclampsia (0.92). It was linked to more self-reported abdominal pain in one trial of 1,877 women, with a risk ratio of 1.66 (1.16 to 2.37). The authors said more research is needed on placental abruption and on rupture of the membranes.3

The membranes result depends on what the vitamin C was paired with. Vitamin C alone did not show an increase, but term rupture of the membranes was more likely when vitamin C and vitamin E were given together, with a risk ratio of 1.73 (1.34 to 2.23) in two trials of 3,060 women.3

The authors wrote that the data do not back routine vitamin C supplementation, alone or with other supplements, and that there was no convincing evidence of other important benefits or harms.3

What about vitamin C serums and skincare in pregnancy?

The sources checked cover vitamin C taken by mouth. They do not report on serums or other skin products in pregnancy, which is not a finding either way. A review of vitamin C and skin says how well vitamin C applied to the skin works, compared with getting enough in the diet, is poorly understood.5

A pharmacist can read the full ingredient list of a specific serum.

Who should ask a doctor about vitamin C in pregnancy

  • Anyone pregnant who is considering a vitamin C supplement above what a prenatal vitamin holds, who should ask their doctor or pharmacist first.1,2
  • Anyone with hemochromatosis or another cause of iron overload, who should ask because NIH advises people with it to avoid vitamin C supplements.1
  • Anyone who has had kidney stones or has kidney disease, or who uses a blood glucose meter, since high vitamin C intakes can give false readings on some meters.1,6
  • Anyone who takes a vitamin C and E combination, since the combination was linked to more term rupture of the membranes in the Cochrane review.3

Questions people ask

Is vitamin C serum safe during pregnancy?

The sources checked do not address vitamin C serums, which is not a finding either way. A review says how well vitamin C works on skin is poorly understood. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about a specific product.5

Is topical vitamin C safe during pregnancy?

The sources checked cover vitamin C taken by mouth, not creams or serums. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about a specific product.1

Is vitamin C safe during pregnancy according to Reddit?

Forum answers are not a source. NIH gives 85 mg a day in pregnancy and an upper limit of 2,000 mg, and MedlinePlus says large supplement doses are not recommended in pregnancy. Ask your doctor.1,2

Is a vitamin C supplement okay in pregnancy?

A Cochrane review of 29 trials found no clear effect on stillbirth or preterm birth, and its authors did not back routine use. Ask your doctor whether a supplement fits you.3

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Sources

  1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated July 31, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Vitamin C. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Review date 1/21/2025. Opened 2026-10-11.
  3. Rumbold A, Ota E, Nagata C, Shahrook S, Crowther CA. Vitamin C supplementation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(9):CD004072. A Cochrane systematic review of randomized trials. Opened 2026-10-11.
  4. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. 2017;9(8):866. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Immune Function and Infectious Diseases: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 10, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.