Birth & Parenting News: Fish Consumption During Pregnancy

A study appearing in the November 2010 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition takes a qualitative look at pregnant women’s attitudes about eating seafood. Many pregnant women in the US do not consume enough DHA, an essential nutrient found in fish. Conflicting findings that fish consumption is beneficial for the developing fetus, yet potentially toxic because of mercury contamination, have created uncertainty about the appropriate fish-consumption advice to provide to pregnant women. Researchers conducted focus groups with pregnant women from Boston who ate less than two servings of fish a week, in order to determine knowledge, behaviors, and advice received among this group of women. They found that many women knew that fish might contain mercury and had received advice to limit fish intake. Fewer women knew that fish contains DHA, and none had received advice to eat fish. Many women received advice to limit seafood consumption and either reduced or eliminated their fish intake with pregnancy. They thought a physician’s advice to eat fish and examples of fish that are safe and healthy to eat during pregnancy would have encouraged them to eat more seafood. Review the study.

Here’s our take on it:

It’s well known that eating seafood contaminated with mercury is a threat to human health, and particularly to pregnant women and children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and women who might become pregnant to avoid or limit eating certain species of fish due to excessively high levels of methylmercury.

Avoid
• Swordfish
• Shark
• Tilefish
• King mackerel
• Tuna steak

Limit
• Canned tuna (albacore and all-white meat tuna is the worst)
• Sea Bass
• Gulf Coast Oysters
• Marlin
• Halibut
• Pike
• Walleye
• White Croaker
• Largemouth Bass
• Mahi Mahi
• Blue Mussels
• Cod
• Eastern Oysters
• Channel Catfish (wild)
• Great Lakes Salmon
• Gulf Coast Blue Crab
• Lake Whitefish
• Pollack

Best Choices
The following fish/seafood are lowest in methylmercury levels:
• Catfish (farmed)
• Blue Crab (mid-Atlantic)
• Croaker
• Fish Sticks
• Flounder (summer)
• Haddock
• Trout (farmed)
• Salmon (wild Pacific)
• Shrimp

Each Wednesday, our Birth & Parenting News blog highlights the latest news items, research results, consumer alerts, and legislative action alerts of interest to expectant and new parents and the professionals who work them.

Posted by Patty Brennan on January 26, 2011 • Filed under Birth & Parenting News
Comments (2)

Comments

2 Responses to “Birth & Parenting News: Fish Consumption During Pregnancy”

  1. Rhonda Bantsimba on January 30th, 2011 at 8:30 pm:

    Hi Patty,

    Where does Talapia fall on the recommendation list?

    Rhonda

  2. Patty Brennan on January 31st, 2011 at 2:06 pm:

    Hi Rhonda! It wasn’t on my list. I googled “tilapia safety” and found this website, which had some good information: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16310. Patty