New Recommendation for Fish Intake During Pregnancy
There has been a long-running debate over the safety of seafood for pregnant women, with most of the concern centering on whether methyl mercury can accumulate in certain fish, and would therefore be dangerous to developing fetuses.
It seems however, that a new recommendation may have turned past FDA guidelines onto their head!
The Maternal Nutrition Group, made up of 14 dietitians, nutritionists, and physicians, made the announcement earlier this week, together with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.
The group have recommended that pregnant, breast-feeding and postpartum women consume a minimum of 12 ounces of seafood per week, as part of an overall healthy diet. They also caution that only 6 of the ounces of seafood come from albacore tuna, due to its mercury content.
The Group found that eating fish is the optimal way to gain the benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). They also pointed out that selenium, an essential mineral found in certain fish, accumulates, and appears to protect against the toxicity from trace amounts of mercury.
In 2004 the EPA and the FDA, recommended women and children eat up to 12 ounces of fish, that were lower in mercury per week. This weeks recommendations state at least 12 ounces per week. Therefore the new guideline places the emphasis in a different place.
Interestingly, a large British study concluded that the FDA’s recommendation of up to 12 ounces per week, posed a potential harm to women, and their children.
The study looked at pregnant women who self reported their fish consumption at 32 weeks of pregnancy. The researchers tracked the developmental progress of the children born to these women until they reached 8 years old. They found that children born to women who ate 12 ounces or less, were at increased risk for low verbal IQ, compared with those who ate more than 12 ounces of fish a week during pregnancy.
How does mercury end up in our food chain?
It’s called bio-accumulation. This is where the mercury found either naturally, or as pollution in the waters, gets taken up initially by microorganisms, these are eaten by small animals, and eventually by larger fish. The concentration of mercury increases with each successive step in the food chain.
As a result, top predator such as some tuna or shark, can have very high levels of mercury. Therefore, it’s merely a matter of choosing wisely, rather than avoiding fish altogether.
So, what sort of fish should pregnant women choose?
The recommendations stated that fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel, are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. The group point out that these are essential during rapid fetal growth and development, and that improved consumption of such fatty acids may lead to improved visual, cognitive, motor and behavioral skills, lasting into childhood.
Here are some of the best, and worst types available:
Therefore, this new guideline emphasises the need for pregnant women to continue eating fish. However, there’s a definite need to choose wisely, by being educated about the best sources.
You may also want to check out:
- The NRDC Mercury Calculator, if you’re concerned that you may be having too much
- Also take a look at the NRDCs wallet card, or Oceans Alive for more tips on choosing wisely
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