Pregnant women are advised to have at least two portions of fish in a week to reap the benefits of the nutrients, especially for their babies. This latest advice has debunked the notion that fish is unsafe for mothers due to mercury exposure.
However, data studied by the experts at the University of Bristol showed that not eating fish while pregnant deprives the moms and their babies of essential nutrients like vitamin D, iodine, fatty acids, and selenium. The experts studied the data of over 4,000 pregnant women in the United Kingdom and Seychelles and found no adverse link between mercury levels and the baby's development.
The density of nutrients in fish far outweighs the risk of consuming high amounts of mercury. Their findings were published in the journal NeuroToxicology.
What's in fish that helps the baby's development?
In a media release via Science Direct, Dr. Caroline Taylor, the study's co-author, said that the effects of mercury on the baby in the womb are not a cause for concern; thus, previous advice to avoid fish no longer holds true.
Before the study's findings, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that pregnant moms have at least two to three servings of fish in a week, especially for varieties known to have low mercury content, such as canned tuna, salmon, and cod. Common supermarket or restaurant options such as sea bass, anchovies, trout, or flounder are also safe and accessible, thus making it easier for pregnant moms to improve their fish consumption.
The FDA has also come up with a list of "best" and "good" choices for fish and those to avoid altogether, such as bigeye tuna, marlin, and King mackerel.
FDA & @EPA issue final fish consumption advice. Chart makes it easy to choose from dozens of healthy & safe options https://t.co/Gjj9emUMUT pic.twitter.com/YZ5g03oqG8
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) January 18, 2017
Fish contains Omega-3 (DHA and EPA), omega-6 fats, iron, choline, and iodine. Pregnant women most need the latter to support the baby's brain development. Fish also promotes bone health and lowers the risk of colon or rectal cancer in adults, per the FDA.
In previous studies done by Danish researchers, pregnant women who avoided fish risked a premature delivery compared to women who had a regular fish diet. Their babies also had low birth weight due to a lack of vital nutrients.
More recommendations from the experts
While nearly all varieties of fish have some mercury concentration, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agree with the recommendations for pregnant moms not to forego fish in their weekly meals. According to Healthy Children, following this advice brings more benefits to the mothers and babies as opposed to the risks.
Some moms might still be worried about the mercury content in tuna, the most popularly available fish variety. Tests from the FDA showed that a regular tuna steak has an average mercury content of 0.32 parts per million, while canned tuna has 0.17 parts per million. The safety limit on mercury levels is one part per million.
