Study: Fish benefits outweigh potential risk for pregnant women and their babies

When a woman is pregnant, her health is typically of concern. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the developmental benefits acheive by the mother consuming fish while pregnant may cancel out any mercury-related risks.

A team of scientists found that women who consume ocean fish during pregnancy benefit from a special compound called n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends eating up to 12 ounces of fish and shellfish per week, but only if they are "lower in mercury. However, the FDA currently recommends that pregnant women should eat fish no more than twice a week.

Professor Strain, PhD at Human Nutrition at the Ulster University in Northern Ireland, said in the study that fish is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.

The scientists from Ulster University have undertook a survey in order to find out if fish is beneficial for pregnant women. The study involved observing 1,500 pregnant women from the Republic of Seychelles. These women participants were observed for almost 20 months.

The people from the Republic of Seychelles consume fish on an average of eight times per week. This is higher than any places on earth. At the end of the study, the researchers found that the women who ate more fish while being pregnant gave birth to healthier babies Before the new study showing that fish is beneficial for pregnant women, FDA announced a report saying that fish could be extremely dangerous to women during pregnancy.

"These findings show no overall association between prenatal exposure to mercury through fish consumption and neurodevelopmental outcomes," said Edwin van Wijngaarden, Ph.D., and associate professor in the University of Rochester Department of Public Health Sciences and a co-author of the study. "It is also becoming increasingly clear that the benefits of fish consumption may outweigh, or even mask, any potentially adverse effects of mercury."

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.