Let Them Eat Fish!

Scientists' advice that pregnant women eat seafood contradicts fed mercury warnings
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 4, 2007 5:45 AM CDT
Let Them Eat Fish!
"I Linguini del Pescatore" (Fisherman's Linguini) fresh pasta with seafood, a typical dish in southern Italy's Puglia region, near Lecce,is seen in this April 20, 2007 file photo.   (Associated Press)

Contrary to federal FDA recommendations, pregnant women and nursing mothers should eat at least 12 ounces of seafood a week to help promote fetal brain development, according to the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. The government has been warning moms-to-be and nursing mothers not to eat more than 12 ounces for fear of mercury poisoning, which can cause neurological problems.

Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular a substance called docosahexaenoic acid, help the brain and nervous system grow in fetuses and young children. Recent research found that women who ate a little fish during pregnancy had children with higher IQs and fewer behavioral problems, and were less likely to have pre-term, low-birth-weight babies. The coalition argues seafood's benefits outweigh the risk of mercury contamination. (More pregnancy stories.)

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