July 10, 2014 — In 2004 the FDA and the EPA advised women who are pregnant, those who might become pregnant and those who are breastfeeding to limit their consumption of fish to no more than 12 ounces weekly. This was done to protect the fetus from high levels of mercury which is present in some levels in all fish.
Women may have taken this advice too seriously — more than one-fifth of women had eaten no fish in the month previous to an FDA analysis conducted.
Additionally, more than 50 percent of women ate less than two ounces per week.
We have discovered that this decreased fish consumption is a problem since there are definite health benefits between fish consumption during pregnancy and children's growth and neurobehavioral development. This is linked to high levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Recent studies have found that in order to reap these health benefits, pregnant and breastfeeding women should eat at least 8-12 ounces weekly of fish lower in mercury levels.
– Here are the guidelines & recommendations from the FDA:
– Eat 8-12 ounces of a variety of fish per week. Thats 2-3 servings a week
– Choose fish lower in mercury: salmon, shrimp, pollock, tuna ( light canned), tilapia, catfish, and cod
– Avoid 4 types of fish: tilefish from Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish and king mackerel
– Limit white albacore tuna to 6 ounces per week
– When adding fish to your diet, be sure to stay within your recommended caloric needs
Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times