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Can I eat liver while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Liver shows Avoid in Doola Scan in the UK, Australia and Ireland, and Check in the US, Canada and New Zealand, because it is very high in vitamin A. Cooked liver shows the same, since the guidance is about vitamin A rather than cooking. The NHS says liver and foods containing liver have high levels of vitamin A, which can be harmful to your baby. Health NZ allows small amounts, no more than 100 g a week, Health Canada asks you to limit liver, and in the US, ACOG lists liver among iron-rich foods.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Cooked liver, such as chicken, beef or lamb liver

    CheckUnited StatesCanadaNew ZealandAvoidUnited KingdomAustraliaIreland

  • Liver pâté, chicken liver pâté or foie gras

    CheckUnited StatesCanadaNew ZealandAvoidUnited KingdomAustraliaIreland

  • Liver sausage and liverwurst

    CheckUnited StatesCanadaNew ZealandAvoidUnited KingdomAustraliaIreland
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Liver while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on liver, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • United States

    Check
    • ACOGACOG recommends liver among iron-rich foods in pregnancy; no advice to avoid liver.Source
    • MotherToBabyPreformed vitamin A from animal foods such as liver: stay under the 3,000 mcg/day upper limit; very high intakes linked to birth defects.Source
    • FDARefrigerated pâté can carry listeria.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)No refrigerated pâté or meat spreads; canned or shelf-stable is safer.Source

  • United Kingdom

    Avoid
    • NHSLiver is very high in vitamin A, which can harm a baby's development.Source
    • NHSMeat pâté: keep chilled and eat before the use-by date.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • Health CanadaLimit (not avoid) liver and cod liver oil; stay under 3000 mcg RAE vitamin A a day.Source
    • CPSAvoid refrigerated pâté and meat spreads.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid refrigerated pâtés and meat spreads; canned or shelf-stable ones are safer.Source

  • Australia

    Avoid
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Liver is not recommended for women who are or could be pregnant (vitamin A).Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid liver or liver products: high vitamin A can harm the baby.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat pâté or meat spreads.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid all types of pâté.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid pâté eaten cold from delis or pre-packaged.Source
    • FSANZAvoid refrigerated pâté or meat spreads; canned or shelf-stable OK.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.Source

  • New Zealand

    Check
    • Health NZLiver only in small amounts, no more than 100 g a week (vitamin A).Source
    • Health NZAvoid refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.Source

  • Ireland

    Avoid
    • HSEAvoid liver, including liver sausage, haggis and pâté containing liver.Source
What to check

Before you eat liver.

  1. In the UK, Australia and Ireland, leave liver out

    The NHS lists liver and liver products among foods to avoid, because of their vitamin A. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says to avoid liver or liver products, and Ireland's HSE names liver, liver sausage, haggis and pâté containing liver. NHS

  2. In New Zealand, keep it to 100 g a week

    Health NZ says liver is a rich source of iron but asks for only small amounts, no more than 100 g each week, because liver contains very large amounts of vitamin A. Health NZ

  3. In Canada, limit liver and count your vitamin A

    Health Canada asks pregnant women to limit liver and cod liver oil, and to avoid going over 3000 mcg RAE, or 10 000 IU, of vitamin A a day. It notes that some prenatal vitamins contain more than 10 000 IU. Health Canada

  4. Check your multivitamin too

    Health NZ says regular multivitamin supplements may contain too much vitamin A for pregnancy. Liver on top of a high-vitamin-A supplement adds up, so read the label for vitamin A or retinol. Health NZ

Questions

About liver
in pregnancy.

Cooked liver shows Avoid in the UK, Australia and Ireland and Check in the US, Canada and New Zealand, the same as liver in any form. Cooking doesn't change the vitamin A the guidance is about.

The countries answer differently. ACOG lists liver among iron-rich foods, and Health NZ calls it a rich source of iron with a 100 g a week limit. The NHS, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby and the HSE list it among foods to avoid.

The UK, Australia and Ireland list liver among foods to avoid in pregnancy. New Zealand and Canada set a limit instead, and in the US, ACOG lists it among iron-rich foods. Doola Scan shows each country's own line.

Liver pâté shows Avoid in the UK, Australia and Ireland and Check in the US, Canada and New Zealand. Chilled pâté has a listeria question too: the CDC asks you to avoid refrigerated pâté and choose pâté in sealed containers that don't need refrigerating before opening.

Both are liver products, so they show Avoid in the UK, Australia and Ireland and Check in the US, Canada and New Zealand. Ireland's HSE names liver sausage among foods to avoid.

Health Canada asks pregnant women to limit cod liver oil as well as liver, because both are high in vitamin A. Check any fish oil supplement's label for vitamin A or retinol.

If you're worried, talk to your midwife or doctor, and tell them about any supplements you take as well.

Yes. Take a photo of the label or the menu, and Doola Scan checks each ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance, including liver hidden in pâté or sausage. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.