Vitamin E is a type of antioxidant found naturally in certain nuts, seeds, oils and vegetables. Vitamin E oil is available as a topical treatment, oral capsule or softgel. During pregnancy, women need 15 mg vitamin E daily to keep their bodies healthy. Expectant mothers may also apply vitamin E oil directly to their skin to help prevent pregnancy-related stretch marks. Discuss the safety of vitamin E oil in pregnancy with your medical provider before using topical or oral preparations of vitamin E oil. In a February 2009 study published in "BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology," Dr. Steegers-Theunissen and colleagues reported that women who consumed high doses of vitamin E during early pregnancy were at an increased risk of giving birth to infants with congenital heart defects. This risk was greatest amongst pregnant women who both used vitamin E supplements and consumed more than 14.9 mg vitamin E daily as part of their diet. Though congenital heart defects are common -- affecting nearly eight in every 1,000 newborn infants -- heart structure abnormalities may cause breathing rate changes, blue skin discoloration or a failure to thrive in affected infants.
Pregnant women can limit their risk of experiencing this complication by talking with a doctor before taking vitamin E oil supplements to ensure they take the correct dosage. Orally administered vitamin E oil may cause mild side effects during pregnancy. Such side effects are typically associated with high doses of vitamin E and may include fatigue, headache, weakness, rash, blurred vision, nausea or diarrhea. Taking too much vitamin E may also increase your risk of experiencing bleeding or bruising complications. Seek care from your doctor if any of these side effects persist or become severe. Applying vitamin E oil to the skin is generally regarded as safe for use during pregnancy and is not associated with side effects. Infrequently, vitamin E oil may cause a mild to moderate allergic skin reaction called contact dermatitis. The treated skin region may appear inflamed, dry or flaky and may be intensely itchy. If you develop skin irritation after applying vitamin E oil to your skin, stop using this topical treatment and contact your physician.
Pregnant women who need to take certain medications may not be able to use orally administered vitamin E oil. Avoid taking niacin or cholesterol-lowering drugs in conjunction with vitamin E oil supplements because vitamin E may reduce the effectiveness of these medications. In addition, oral vitamin E oil may increase the absorption or effectiveness of cyclosporine or blood thinners. Vitamin E Skin Cream Benefits What Does Vitamin E Do for the Body? Vitamin E Effects on Coumadin Vitamin E Vs. Castor Oil How to Rub Vitamin E on the Scalp to Promote Hair Growth Benefits of Vitamin E Suppositories Does Vitamin E Skin Oil Have Side Effects? How to Rub Fish Oil on Scars Vitamin E Succinate Benefits Fish Oil & Vitamin EExperts are warning women not to take Vitamin E supplements during pregnancy because it may harm the unborn child.Prof Stuart Campbell, the obstetrician who pioneered 3D scans of foetuses "walking in the womb", called for the Government to place a health warning on the vitamin, after trials revealed that it doubled the rate of stillbirths, led to low birth weight and increased health complications in the newborn.
Another specialist, Prof Andy Shennan, of St Thomas' Hospital in London, who carried out research into the role of vitamins E and C in pre-eclampsia, said pregnant women were "self-medicating" with high doses of the vitamin in the mistaken belief that it did them good.Concern over vitamin E, particularly in large doses, comes as record numbers of Britons, including pregnant women, turn to vitamins thinking they will protect their health. The vitamin market in Britain is worth an estimated £362 million a year and their use in pregnancy is soaring because of Goverment advice to take vitamin D for strong bones and folic acid (a B vitamin) to prevent spina bifida.Research has previously suggested that vitamin E, an antioxidant, has a protective effect against miscarriage and pre-eclampsia (a serious complication of pregnancy), particularly when taken with high doses of vitamin C.But two recent studies in London and Australia, published in The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that the reverse may be true.
Prof Campbell believes that vitamin E can interfere with the ability of the mother's immune system to avoid attacking the baby as an "invader". He also thinks that the vitamin could disrupt the functions of the placenta, depriving babies of nutrients, and argues that children born to women who have taken high doses of vitamin E may have an increased risk of asthma and eczema.He said: "The evidence suggests vitamin E may be harmful in pregnancy and it's therefore wise to avoid it."Concerns were raised when experts at St Thomas' Hospital in London conducted a trial on 2,500 women at risk of pre-eclampsia.The women took high doses of vitamins E and C from 14 weeks until they gave birth. Those who took 400 international units of vitamin E daily - about 250mg - and 1,000mg of vitamin C developed pre-eclampsia earlier and had a more severe form of the illness. The European Union's recommended daily amount for vitamin E is 20mg but the official "safe" level is 540mg a day - about 800 international units.
A total of 19 babies were stillborn in the study, compared with just seven in women who took a placebo - a statistically significant rate of one per cent versus 0.5 per cent. On average, the birth-weight of babies whose mothers took the vitamins was 60g less than in the placebo group.Prof Shennan said: "Vitamins are deemed to be innocent and good and there is no doubt that pregnant women are out there, self-medicating with these high doses. One women came to me and she was taking 5g of vitamin E a day. I told her to stop."Our trial was looking to see if there was a benefit for a specific condition, pre-eclampsia, and that turned out not to be the case."A Department of Health spokesman said its experts on the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition were not considering the safety of vitamin E in pregnancy. "The only vitamin supplements recommended by the Department of Health during pregnancy are folic acid and vitamin D," the spokesman said. "We advise against vitamin A supplements during pregnancy.