| For years, pregnant and nursing women have been | | | | and newborns. Earlier this year, a report in The Lancet, |
| warned to limit the amount of fish they eat, because | | | | a medical journal, concluded that women who had |
| many marine species may contain high levels of | | | | eaten more than 12 ounces of fish per week during |
| mercury, which endangers newborns and fetuses. | | | | pregnancy produced better developed, more intelligent |
| Yesterday, however, a children's health group | | | | children. "Advice that limits seafood consumption might |
| challenged the conventional wisdom, advising pregnant | | | | reduce the intake of nutrients necessary for optimum |
| women and nursing mothers to eat more fish so as to | | | | neurological development," wrote scientists from the |
| ensure optimal brain development in their babies. | | | | National Institutes of Health and the University of Illinois |
| Fearing mercury contamination, many pregnant | | | | at Chicago. |
| women avoid seafood altogether. That may actually | | | | "The real problem here are the women who are just |
| harm newborns, according to some scientists. (John | | | | eliminating fish from their diet," said Judy Meehan, |
| McConnico for The New York Times) What's going on | | | | executive director of the National Healthy Mothers, |
| here? Currently, the Food and Drug Administration | | | | Healthy Babies Coalition. "Eating 12 ounces is a very |
| advises pregnant women to limit their weekly seafood | | | | safe, smart move, and nobody is disputing that.'' While |
| consumption to no more than 12 ounces, or about two | | | | none of the research cited yesterday in the coalition's |
| servings, per week. | | | | recommendations has been funded by the fish |
| The newest recommendation comes from the | | | | industry, the coalition is using a grant from the National |
| National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, a | | | | Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry group, to fund its |
| nonprofit group that focuses on childhood health issues. | | | | educational campaign, according to Ms. Meehan. |
| That group's scientific advisors say that pregnant | | | | For women who want the health benefits but worry |
| women and nursing mothers should eat at least 12 | | | | about mercury and other toxins, the wisest course is |
| ounces of fish per week. Although both | | | | to choose fish with the lowest levels of mercury. A |
| recommendations acknowledge that pregnant women | | | | recent report in The Journal of the American Medical |
| can safely eat about two servings a week, fears of | | | | Association concluded that the health benefits are likely |
| mercury contamination in seafood have prompted | | | | greatest from such oily fish as salmon, herring and |
| many pregnant women to forgo fish entirely. | | | | sardines - which are all generally low in mercury |
| And here's the conundrum: an increasing number of | | | | anyway. Among the fish to avoid are shark, swordfish, |
| studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly | | | | king mackerel and tilefish, all of which may contain high |
| in fish, are essential to brain development in fetuses | | | | levels of mercury. |