What Seafood Is Safe While Pregnant

Eat A Limited Amount Of Mercury

What seafood is safe when pregnant? | Parents

Although mercury contamination is certainly a concern for pregnant women, it is not recommended to abstain from all fish, including tuna, when you are pregnant. The benefits of eating tuna outweigh the risks when you stick to fish with low mercury content in limited amounts.

Canned light tuna , albacore, and yellowfin tuna are typically safe to eat when you are pregnant. Limit your consumption of canned light tuna to 12 ounces per week and albacore or yellowfin to 4 ounces per week.

Is It Safe To Eat Mussels While Pregnant

You should not eat the organs and intestines of mussels and fish, as they can have a high mercury content. The biggest risk of eating seafood during pregnancy is that it contains natural pollutants like PCB , mercury and dioxins. The FDA also states that frozen crab products risk contaminating the listeria.

Use Caution With Recreationally Caught Fish

Expectant mothers should always exercise some caution when they are eating foods like fish. They really need to be careful if they choose to eat fish that has been recreationally caught. According to whattoexpect.com, this is the case because the water that they were caught in could have some impact on whether or not that fish is safe for them to eat. They shouldnt eat much of it if they are unable to obtain information on the water in which it was caught. In fact, perhaps they should avoid eating it altogether, just to be safe.

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Does Shrimp Have Mercury

Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna.

What Seafood Is Not Safe During Pregnancy

What Types Of Seafood Are Safe During Pregnancy ...

Never eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish. Limit lower-mercury fish, such as canned light tuna, shrimp, salmon, catfish and tilapia, to 12 ounces a week. Albacore white tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna, so limit your intake to one serving per week.

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Can Pregnant Women Eat Seafood Here’s What Fish Is Safe During Pregnancy And How Much To Eat

With conflicting research and concerns about mercury levels, theres plenty of confusion about whether fish is safe for pregnancy. Here, we break down the latest guidelines for expectant parents.

Of all the food dilemmas you face when pregnant, seafood might be the most slippery. Fish contain nutrients essential to the developing fetus, but they can also be contaminated with damaging polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury, which may negatively affect your baby’s brain and nervous system. Fish recommendations have also changed constantly over the years, leaving many pregnant people out of the loop on the latest guidelines.

While it may be tempting to simply throw up your hands and order a cheeseburger, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency say not to shun fish completely. The organizations recently released guidelines encouraging pregnant women to eat safe quantities of low-mercury fish to help their child’s growth and development.

But what kinds of fish are considered safe, and what’s the recommended serving size? Keep reading to learn more.

Fish To Avoid While Pregnant

You should stay away from the below types of fish that are high in mercury . Mercury converts into methylymercury, which could be toxic to your nervous system:

Bass , bluefish, Chilean sea bass, jack , king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, Spanish mackerel , swordfish, tilefish , tuna , walleye

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Safe Fish And Their Quantities To Consume During Pregnancy

Eat fish that is low in mercury and high in omega-3. Below is the list of fish you can eat. We have compiled it using the advisories issued by the various US states .

Type of fish How often to eat

Catfish , cod, crab, herring, oysters, pollock, salmon , sardines, scallops, shrimp, tilapia and other purchased fish low in mercury

2 servings per week

OR Halibut, bullhead, lake whitefish, lake herring, bass , buffalo fish, carp, perch , grouper, lobster , mahi mahi , Pompano , sablefish, sea trout , scorpion fish, snapper, Spanish mackerel , tilefish , tuna , white croaker

1 serving per week

: University of Minnesota Extension and Purdue University

How To Properly Prepare Fish During Pregnancy

Seafood and Pregnancy | Eating Seafood While Pregnant

By now youve probably heard that you should avoid sushi during pregnancy and the same goes for any other raw or undercooked fish, since they can contain bacteria and parasites that are dangerous for your developing baby.

Here are a few tips to properly prepare fish and help reduce your exposure to any potential contaminants:

  • Buy only fresh, properly refrigerated seafood. Store it in the fridge in a sealed container if youre not cooking it immediately.
  • Use separate cutting boards for meats and fruits/veggies.
  • Dont reuse marinades.
  • Cook seafood until it reaches an internal temperature of 145° F if a thermometer isnt available, youll know its done when the flesh is opaque and fillets flake easily with a fork.
  • Clams, mussels and oysters are cooked when their shells open throw away any that dont.

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Safe Seafood During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a confusing time for pregnant women, especially when it comes to food. Pregnant women are often told what to eat or not to eat to support their babys growth. There are so many myths out there, its hard to know whats true and whats not which is the whole reason I created The Prenatal Nutrition Library, youll have reliable answers from day one and get rid of the anxiety.

A common food future moms are told to be careful eating is seafood. Whether its because of the mercury levels or food safety reasons, fish, and shellfish can seem like a slippery slope during pregnancy, but it doesnt have to be that way!

Several types of seafood are an excellent source of essential nutrients that your baby needs to grow in the womb, like omega-3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin D, iodine, and protein. Because of these nutrients, safe seafood is actually a recommended addition to your pregnancy diet.

That being said, there are some risks that come with eating certain fish and shellfish due to mercury content or food safety precautions. First, consuming elevated levels of mercury can cause damage to your babys nervous system. And cause harm to other parts of the body including your lungs and kidneys. So, it is best to avoid high mercury fish during pregnancy. The fish that have the most mercury is the largest fish in the water like shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel.

Yes Shrimp Is Safe To Consume In Pregnancy

It is safe to eat shrimp during pregnancy, says Jonathan Schaffir, MD, OB/GYN at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. According to Schaffir, there is not a hard limit for how much shrimp you can eat, as long as the shrimp is fully cooked.

Shrimp is actually one of the safest seafood options for pregnant women, since they have low mercury content compared to other types of seafood. Schaffir says fully cooked shrimp will not pose a risk to pregnant women, but any uncooked seafood has the potential of causing intestinal infection or hepatitis.

Shrimp is rich in nutrients that can be beneficial to pregnancy – like protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and iron. According to the FDA, pregnant women can consume eight to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood like shrimp every week.

Other seafoods that are safe to consume include:

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Fish Provide Key Nutrients That Support A Childs Brain Development

Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a childs brain development:

  • Omega-3 and omega-6 fats
  • Iron
  • Iodine
  • Choline

Choline also supports development of the babys spinal cord. Fish provide iron and zinc to support childrens immune systems. Fish are a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium too.

Which Seafood Is Safe For Pregnant Women To Eat New Chart Offers Guidelines

Eating Seafood During Pregnancy

Washington The Food and Drug Administration, together with the Environmental Protection Agency, is encouraging pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and mothers of young children not to bypass the benefits of eating seafood as long as its the right kind, in the right amount.

Many consumers have limited or avoided fish because of concerns over mercury, Susan Mayne, director of FDAs Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said in a July 2 press release. In fact, we have seen that women in the U.S. who are pregnant are consuming far less than the recommended amount of seafood, Mayne added.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend eating 8 ounces of seafood per week, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet, for anyone 2 and older. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can consume 8 to 12 ounces per week from choices that are lower in mercury including ones commonly found in grocery stores.

The agencies created a chart that breaks down fish by best,good and avoid.

Pregnant/breastfeeding women and young children should avoid eating these fish, as they have the highest mercury levels:

  • Bigeye tuna
  • Swordfish
  • Tilefish

Canned tuna should be limited to one serving per week. FDA considers 4 ounces one serving for most people . If youre eating fish caught by family or friends, check EPAs fish advisory and limit yourself to one serving for that week.

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What Fish Are Safe To Eat During Pregnancy

The Environmental Working Group offers a calculator that can help you choose well what seafood and fish to eat, depending on its high content of Omega-3 fatty acids and low content of mercury.

This online calculator determines the amount of fish that a person can eat on a weekly basis, depending on its pregnancy age and weight. It offers personal advice on over 80 species of fish. You`ll be able to find out what fishyou are allowed to consume, what fish to avoid and what fish you can consume in moderation.

EWG has split fish in 5 categories:

What About Canned Tuna

Tuna is widely popular. Next to shrimp its the type of fish thats most often consumed in the U.S., so it is important that women understand the benefits and risks of consuming it.

The FDA told Consumer Reports: “Its important to note that this advice is targeted to certain women and young children. As a result, we took a cautious and highly protective approach in determining which fish belonged in each category, including a peer review of the data, and are comfortable with the limits we are providing.”

However, our experts disagree with the inclusion of canned and some fresh tunas on the FDAs best choice and good choice lists. Their analysis of the FDA data revealed that although canned light tuna has on average only a third of the mercury found in white or albacore tuna, 20 percent of the samples tested contained almost double the average amount of mercury listed by the agency for that species. In other words: On average, mercury levels for canned light tuna are low, but individual cans may contain high amounts of the toxin. And theres no way for pregnant womenor any consumerto tell which cans contain the potentially dangerous levels.

The same Consumer Reports analysis found that eating 4.3 ouncesless than one canof albacore would put a 132-pound woman above the EPAs safe consumption limit for mercury for a week. A 44-pound child would exceed that limit by eating just 1.5 ouncesabout a third of a can.

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Is It Safe To Eat Seafood When Pregnant

According to Government advice, seafood is safe to eat when pregnant and breastfeeding. Its actually a great choice for you and your baby as it provides a range of nutrients including protein, various vitamins and minerals, as well as omega-3 fats. In fact, like everyone, mums-to-be, new mums and anyone trying to get pregnant you should enjoy two portions of fish each week, one of which should be oily. There are some exceptions however, so heres a guide to what seafood you can eat when pregnant.

What About Fish Oil During Pregnancy

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Can You Eat Sushi While Pregnant

Sushi is generally safe to eat during pregnancybut stick with sushi that includes vegetables and cooked seafood. As with cooked fish, pregnant women should avoid sushi that contains shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, bigeye tuna, marlin and orange roughy. To reduce your risk of getting sick from food during pregnancy, do not eat any raw meats or raw seafood.

There are many kinds of cooked sushi. Just be sure to ask your server for cooked sushi and look for the cooked sticker when buying sushi from a grocery store.

Foods To Avoid While Pregnant

Raw Meat: Uncooked seafood and rare or undercooked beef or poultry should be avoided during pregnancy because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella. At home, the temperature should reach at least 145 F for whole cuts, 160 F for ground meats like hamburger, and 165 F for chicken breasts.

Deli Meat: Deli meats have been known to be contaminated with listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby, which could lead to infection or blood poisoning and may be life-threatening. If you are pregnant and you are considering eating deli meats, make certain that you reheat the meat until it is steaming.

Fish with Mercury: Fish that contain high levels of mercury should be avoided. Mercury consumed during pregnancy has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage. A sample of these types of fish includes shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Canned, chunk light tuna generally has a lower amount of mercury than other tuna, but still should only be eaten in moderation. The American Pregnancy Association recommends Safe Catch Tuna because their testing technology ensures each can of tuna is as pure as wild salmon or wild sardines.

Certain types of fish used in sushi should also be avoided due to high levels of mercury. Please see Mercury in Fish for specific types of fish and further information on how to calculate mercury levels.

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Benefits Of Fish During Pregnancy

The good news is that fish really does offer big benefits for both pregnant women and their developing babies. Fish:

  • Supports fetal growth. Fish is a first-rate source of lean protein, an essential amino acid that helps create all of babys cells from skin and muscle to hair and bones.
  • Is good for babys brain. Fattier varieties of fish in particular, like salmon, are a source of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which has been shown to boost baby brain power. Its more important than ever in the third trimester, when your babys brain growth is fast and furious.
  • Boosts your memory. Speaking of boosted brain power, getting enough omega-3s may also improve your memory especially helpful when youre battling a case of pregnancy brain.
  • Improves your mood: An adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids and especially DHA has been shown to decrease your risk of depression during pregnancy as well as postpartum depression.
  • Supports your heart. A diet rich in fish may lower your risk of cardiac disease by reducing blood clotting and levels of triglycerides as well as lowering blood pressure if you have preexisting hypertension.
  • May reduce risk of preterm birth. Scientists have observed that rates of preterm birth are lower in areas with a high fish intake and some studies have indeed linked adequate omega 3 intake to a lower risk of preterm birth.

Pregnant Women Should Limit The Amount Of Fish They Eat

The Truth About Eating Fish During Pregnancy!

It is suggested that pregnant women eat 23 serves of fish every week for the good health of themselves and their developing baby. However, pregnant women or women intending to become pregnant within the next six months should be careful about which fish they eat. Some types of fish contain high levels of mercury, which can be harmful to the developing fetus.Pregnant women should:

  • Limit to one serve per fortnight billfish and shark , with no other fish eaten in that fortnight.
  • Limit to one serve per week orange roughy or catfish, with no other fish eaten that week.
  • Eat 23 serves per week of any other fish or seafood .

Note: 150g is equivalent to approximately two frozen crumbed fish portions.Women should not be worried if theyve had the odd meal of fish with high levels of mercury. It is only a potential problem when that type of fish is eaten regularly, which causes a build-up of mercury in the mothers blood.

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