CWC Article - Exercise In Pregnancy

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Limit Fish Consumption During Pregnancy

By: Bradley G. Goldberg, M.D.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that “seafood can be an important part of a balanced diet for
pregnant women…a good source of high quality protein and other nutrients and [it] is low in fat.”

However, in 2001 both the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have revised their
recommendations regarding the consumption of fish during pregnancy.

These recommendations pertain only to women who are pregnant, women who are trying to become pregnant,
women who are currently breastfeeding, and children.

The concern over fish is specifically related to the fact that some fish contain a potentially toxic substance called
“methylmercury”. Methylmercury is a by-product of pollution that can accumulate in water, and therefore in the
fish that feed in these waters.

While there does not seem to be a significant risk to healthy adults, there is the potential for the methylmercury
to affect the developing nervous system of a fetus or young child.

Therefore the EPA recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding women, and small children limit their
consumption of freshwater fish caught by friends or family to one meal per week. The EPA considers one
meal for an adult to be 6 ounces of fish, and for a child 2-3 ounces. Your local or state health department
should be able to provide information on local water conditions.

Furthermore, the FDA recommends that these same at risk individuals not eat the following fish at all:

Shark
Swordfish
King mackerel
Tilefish

These larger fish tend to feed on other fish and therefore may have higher levels of methylmercury.

I want to point out that these agencies are not implying that you should not eat fish, they are simply trying to set
guidelines for healthier seafood diets during pregnancy and childhood.

In fact, with the exception of the fish listed above it is considered healthy to eat up to 12 ounces of fish per
week. Especially farm-raised fish, canned fish, or smaller ocean fish. This information was obtained from the
agencies web sites, which I recommend you read.