Eating fish during pregnancy

Post Reply New Topic

My sister just gave birth a couple of weeks ago and while having our usual chat, we come across the topic of eating healthy while pregnant. She said that a friend of hers told her to avoid eating fish while pregnant, because Mercury consumed during pregnancy has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage.

Should pregnant and breastfeeding women totally avoid fish or only those that contain high levels of mercury?

Some types of fish are more contaminated by mercury than others. I believe the guideline is that those types should only be eaten about once a week. Are you asking because you're concerned that eating too much fish causes autism?

Mercury poisoning doesn't cause autism, in case you were wondering. It does, however, cause other neurological issues, especially in very young kids.

Ocean ecosystems have very long food chains, and environmental toxins such as mercury get concentrated with each step of the food chain. For that reason, it's recommended that pregnant women and young children avoid eating fish that are near the top of their food chains (predatory fish, and especially those who eat other predators). Fish that are closer to the bottom of the food chain, such as plant-eating fish, have much less mercury and are fine to eat.

Sharing with you this article that I read which is related to your query. Hope this will help

http://www.babycenter.com/0_eating-fish ... 0319858.bc