Study finds pregnant women eating seafood helps child

February 16, 2007



According to a recent survey and study reported in the British journal Lancet, mothers eating fish during certain parts of their pregnancy could possibly help a child's development.

Seafood is the predominant source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for optimal neural development.

The survey of more than 11,000 women in the United Kingdom, noted their weekly seafood intake and found that low seafood intake was correlated with a higher risk of suboptimal developmental outcome.

During 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency released a report recommending pregnant women and nursing mothers should eat less than 12 ounces (340 grams) of seafood every week to prevent development problems due to the toxins in the seafood. The advisory noted that shark, swordfish, king mackerel should not be eaten more than once weekly.

An FDA spokesperson said that neither the FDA or the EPA had any comment on the study and would need to review it before commenting.