Pregnant, Breast-Feeding Women Should Eat At Least 12 Ounces Of Seafood Weekly, Private Groups, Federal Agencies Say

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Neurology / Neuroscience;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 05 Oct 2007 - 5:00 PDT

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Pregnant and breast-feeding women should consume at least 12 ounces of fish and seafood per week for optimal brain development of fetuses, infants and young children, according to guidelines to be released on Thursday by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, the Washington Post reports. The coalition is a not-for-profit group with nearly 150 members, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, March of Dimes, CDC and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

According to the Post, the coalition's guidelines on consumption of seafood during pregnancy and immediately after pregnancy "are at odds" with current FDA and Environmental Protection Agency guidelines (Squires, Washington Post, 10/4). FDA and EPA in 2005 issued warnings that advise young children, pregnant women, nursing women and women of childbearing age to avoid consuming swordfish, king mackerel, shark and tilefish because of high mercury levels. The warnings also recommend that those groups no more than 12 ounces of fish weekly and eat no more than six ounces of canned albacore tuna weekly.

The guidelines were prompted by some studies that showed that high levels of mercury -- which accumulates in the environment, as well as in the flesh of fish and the bodies of those who eat fish -- contribute to birth defects and other health problems. Several studies also demonstrated a subtle loss of mental acuity in the offspring of women who consumed fish during pregnancy (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/13/06). Fish and seafood are the major dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important nutrients for the brain and nervous system in developing fetuses, infants and young children, the Post reports.

New Guidelines
The Healthy Mothers guidelines recommend eating 12 ounces or more of fish and seafood weekly to ensure healthy brain development. The guidelines recommend eating ocean fish, such as salmon, tuna and sardines, which are highest in omega-3s. According to the Post, fish is high in the mineral selenium. The panel of experts that created the guidelines said "there is a growing body of evidence that selenium in ocean fish may also counteract the potential negative influence of mercury exposure."

The new guidelines also recommend higher fish and seafood consumption to protect women's health, the Post reports. According to James McGregor, a University of Southern California obstetrician who headed the Maternal Nutrition Group, women who do not consume enough omega-3s in pregnancy seem to have a higher risk of depression during pregnancy and after giving birth.

Previous Research, Reaction
A study published in the Lancet earlier this year found that children of women who ate only small amounts of fish during pregnancy had lower IQs and lower academic test scores at age eight and more behavioral and social problems throughout early development than children whose mothers ate 12 or more ounces per week. Other studies also have indicated that consuming low levels of omega-3s found in fish can raise the risk of premature birth and low birthweight.

"There is a big debate about what is safe," Patricia Nolan, one of the experts who drafted the new guidelines and a professor at Brown University, said, adding, "There are really complex questions. That is why we are doing this." FDA said it plans to study the recommendations but is not prepared to change its advice at the time, the Post reports (Washington Post, 10/4).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.