Is Fish oil / cod liver oil safe during pregnancy?

Seafood & shellfish

Do not take cod liver oil

The NHS says not to take cod liver oil or vitamin A (retinol) supplements in pregnancy; plain fish-oil supplements are not addressed on the pages checked.[1]

What official sources say

NHS: Pregnancy vitamins and supplements

  • Supplements to avoid in pregnancy: Do not take cod liver oil, or supplements that contain vitamin A (retinol), during pregnancy, because too much vitamin A can harm the baby's development.[1]

Related general rules

NHS: Pregnancy vitamins and supplements

  • Foods high in vitamin A, such as liver, should also be avoided.[1]

Sources

  1. NHS: Pregnancy vitamins and supplements · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.