"Seafood is the main food source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for optimum neural development. However, in 2004, the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency advised women who were pregnant or might become pregnant to limit seafood intake during pregnancy to 340 g per week (less than three portions) to avoid exposure to trace amounts of neurotoxins, especially methylmercury"
Many of my patients are afraid of eating fish because of the fear that they will ingest too much mercury to affect the developing baby's brain. This deprives them of the Omega 3 Acid that is good for the development of the baby's brain. It is therefore very encouraging that a recent Lancet article summarized in Medpage Today, showed evidence to the contrary. According to many pregnant women, this is serious enough for them not to eat fish in pregnancy.
"A U.S. survey showed that two-thirds of Americans believe that 1,000 to 100,000 U.S. children are poisoned by mercury from eating fish every year. In fact, Drs. Myers and Davidson said that there has never been even one child with prenatal mercury poisoning from consuming fish documented outside Japan." Judith Groch
Joseph Hibbeln, MD of the National Institute of Alcoholic Abuse and Alcoholism and colleagues, showed that:
"After adjustment, maternal seafood intake during pregnancy of less than 340 g per week was associated with an increased risk at age eight years of the child being in the lowest quartile for verbal IQ (no seafood consumption, odds ratio [OR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.16-1.90; some seafood, 1.09, CI 0.92-1.29; overall trend, P=0.004), compared with mothers who consumed more than 340 g per week. At seven years, low maternal seafood intake was also associated with an increased risk of suboptimum outcomes for prosocial behavior 1.44 (CI 1.05-1.97) for no seafood consumption versus more than 340 g/week. Overall, the investigators said, the higher the maternal seafood intake, the less likely the infant was to have a poor score. At ages up to 3.5 years, scores were also lower for fine-motor skills, communication, and social development, they reported. Maternal seafood consumption reached a mean of 235 g a week, resulting in estimated weekly intakes of zero to 15.6 g, and a mean intake of 1.06 g of omega-3 fatty acids a week. " Judith Groch
Hence it is important that pregnant women know that fish, the major source of Omega 3 Acid is important for the development of the baby's brain. The benefits far outweigh the risks of Mercury poisoning from seafood. A risk largely attributed to fatty fish.
"Additional source: The Lancet
Source reference:
Hibbeln, JR, et al "Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcome in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study" Lancet 2007; 369: 578-585. "
"Additional source: The Lancet
Source reference:
Myers, GJ, Davidson PW "Maternal fish consumption benefits children's development" Lancet 2007; 369: 537-539."
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