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Is vitamin E 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

A Cochrane review of 21 trials in 22,129 pregnant women found vitamin E, always given with other supplements, was linked to more term prelabour rupture of the membranes and more abdominal pain, and its authors did not back routine use. NIH gives 15 mg a day in pregnancy and an upper limit of 1,000 mg.1,2

Key facts

  • In the Cochrane review no trial tested vitamin E alone: the 17 trials with data gave it with vitamin C and other agents.1
  • Term prelabour rupture of the membranes was more common with vitamin E, with a risk ratio of 1.77 (1.37 to 2.28) across two trials.1
  • MedlinePlus says high levels of vitamin E may also increase the risk for birth defects, and that this needs more research.3
  • NIH sets the pregnancy amount at 15 mg a day and the upper limit from supplements at 1,000 mg for adults and 800 mg for teens.2,4
  • Most once-daily multivitamins hold about 13.5 mg of vitamin E, and vitamin E-only supplements often hold 67 mg or more.2,4

What did the Cochrane review find about vitamin E in pregnancy?

The review pooled 21 randomized trials with 22,129 women. Four trials gave no usable data, and all 17 that did gave vitamin E together with vitamin C or other agents, so the review could not separate vitamin E from the other supplements.1

Vitamin E in combination was not clearly linked to stillbirth, neonatal death, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth or poor growth of the baby. It was linked to more self-reported abdominal pain, with a risk ratio of 1.66 (1.16 to 2.37) in one trial of 1,877 women, and to more term prelabour rupture of the membranes, with a risk ratio of 1.77 (1.37 to 2.28) in two trials with 2,504 women. The authors said more research is needed on placental abruption.1

The authors concluded that the data do not back routine vitamin E supplementation in combination with other supplements in pregnancy. They added that there was no convincing evidence of other important benefits or harms. The vitamin E file on this site records the same findings.1

In a review of 21 trials with 22,129 pregnant women, vitamin E taken with vitamin C or other supplements was linked to more self-reported abdominal pain and more term prelabour rupture of the membranes, and the reviewers did not back routine use.1

What do NIH and MedlinePlus say?

MedlinePlus says eating vitamin E in food is not risky, but that high levels of vitamin E may increase the risk for birth defects, adding that this needs more research.3

NIH sets vitamin E amounts and upper limits for pregnancy but does not describe a pregnancy-specific harm. Its upper limit, based on the risk of bleeding, is the same in pregnancy as for other adults, and the vitamin E in food does not need to be limited.2,4

Adults and teens 14 and older need 15 mg of vitamin E a day, including during pregnancy.2,4

The upper limit for vitamin E from supplements is 1,000 mg a day for adults, the same as 1,500 IU of the natural form or 1,100 IU of the synthetic form, and it is set because of the risk of bleeding. It is lower for children and teens: 200 mg at ages 1 to 3, 300 mg at 4 to 8, 600 mg at 9 to 13 and 800 mg at 14 to 18. Vitamin E in food does not need to be limited.2,4

Most once-daily multivitamins provide about 13.5 mg of vitamin E, while vitamin E-only supplements commonly contain 67 mg or more, much more than the recommended amount.2,4

What about vitamin E oil or cream in pregnancy?

The sources on this page are about vitamin E taken by mouth. They do not report on pregnancy and vitamin E oils, creams or serums, which is not a finding either way.1,2

What the sources do document for skin products in general is allergic contact dermatitis. Of 38,699 people patch tested in North America from 2001 to 2016, 0.9% reacted to vitamin E, most often from moisturizers and other personal care products.5

Who should ask a doctor about vitamin E in pregnancy

  • Anyone who is pregnant and considering more vitamin E than a multivitamin holds, who should ask their doctor or pharmacist before starting.2,4
  • Anyone pregnant who takes a blood thinner such as warfarin or an antiplatelet medicine, or has a bleeding disorder.2
  • Anyone who takes a vitamin C and E combination or a product that holds both, since the Cochrane trials gave them together.1

Questions people ask

Is vitamin E oil safe during pregnancy?

The sources checked do not address vitamin E oil on the skin in pregnancy, which is not a finding either way. They do document allergic contact dermatitis from vitamin E in skin products. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.5

Is topical vitamin E safe during pregnancy?

No source checked tested topical vitamin E in pregnancy. The Cochrane review covered vitamin E taken by mouth, with other supplements. Ask your doctor about a specific product.1

Is vitamin E cream okay during pregnancy?

The sources checked do not address creams in pregnancy. Of 38,699 people patch tested, 0.9% reacted to vitamin E, most often from moisturizers. Ask your pharmacist.5

Is vitamin E okay for pregnancy as a supplement?

NIH gives 15 mg a day in pregnancy and an upper limit of 1,000 mg for adults. The Cochrane authors did not back routine vitamin E with other supplements. Ask your doctor.1,2

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Sources

  1. Rumbold A, Ota E, Hori H, Miyazaki C, Crowther CA. Vitamin E supplementation in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(9):CD004069. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 26, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Vitamin E. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Review date 1/21/2025. Opened 2026-10-11.
  4. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Warshaw EM, Ruggiero JL, DeKoven JG, et al. Patch Testing With Tocopherol and Tocopherol Acetate: The North American Contact Dermatitis Group Experience, 2001 to 2016. Dermatitis. 2021;32(5):308-318. Opened 2026-10-07.

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