Is vitamin E safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about vitamin E during pregnancy?

1. The RDA for vitamin E in pregnancy is 15 mg a day for both teens and adults, with an upper limit of 800 mg a day for pregnant 14 to 18 year olds and 1,000 mg a day for pregnant adults 19 and older. 1
2. MotherToBaby advises against taking more than the RDA in a day unless a healthcare provider has specifically prescribed a higher amount, and notes that staying at the RDA and below the upper limit isn't expected to raise the chance of birth defects. 1
3. A review pooling trial data on vitamin E supplementation in pregnancy, mostly at doses of 400 IU a day, found no reduction in stillbirth, preterm birth, preeclampsia, or growth restriction, and linked routine supplementation to a higher rate of term premature rupture of membranes and abdominal pain, concluding the data don't support giving it routinely. 2
4. A review of stretch-mark research found that topical products combining vitamin E with other ingredients showed only mild effects at best, and that moisturizing itself, more than the vitamin E specifically, appears to be the bigger factor in any benefit. 3
5. At high intakes, generally beyond 1,000 mg a day, vitamin E has been linked to bleeding risk, including rare reports of intracranial hemorrhage, along with gastrointestinal upset and generalized weakness. 4

Is vitamin E safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Morning sickness can make a varied diet harder to manage, but the RDA of 15 mg a day is a modest target that most prenatal vitamins already include, so there's rarely a reason to add a separate vitamin E pill this early.
• Second trimester. This is when stretch-mark creams and oils built around vitamin E get marketed heavily. A review of the research found that moisturizing itself, not the vitamin E in the formula, seems to be doing most of the work, and topical products overall show only a mild effect on new marks.
• Third trimester. Stick with food and prenatal-level vitamin E rather than adding a standalone high-dose pill this trimester. Very high intakes have been linked to bleeding risk in general toxicology reviews, worth knowing about as delivery gets closer.

Vitamin E reference amounts in pregnancy