Sea Change In Pregnancy Diet Advice

Doctors and scientists from around the country say pregnant and breastfeeding women have become so fearful about eating fish that might contain mercury, they're not getting enough seafood and that could be hurting themselves - and their babies.

Like many moms-to-be, Robyn Jones cut back on the amount of fish she eats because of concerns about mercury poisoning.

"I would eat fish a lot, maybe four to five times a week, and now … I just find it easier to avoid it altogether," Jones told CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace.

That is the problem, according to a national coalition of obstetricians and scientists who are recommending pregnant and breastfeeding women eat at least 12 oz. of fish - like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel - every week.

That's a major break from what the government has been recommending, since the FDA's warning in 2001 urging pregnant women not to eat more than 12 ounces of fish a week.

"I think it is very confusing; there will be a report that comes out that says fish is really good and another report that comes out and says no, you shouldn't have it," said Katrina Anthony.

We're coming out now to help correct misconceptions out there," said NYU School of Medicine obstetrician Ashley Roman. "There's a lot of scientific evidence supporting the fact that fish consumption actually leads to better outcomes in pregnancy."

Seafood is brainfood, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. A study this year found that pregnant women who ate more seafood had children who had more advanced motor and social skills and were less likely to have low IQs.

These benefits, the researchers say, outweigh any potential dangers from mercury.

[itgranny]

by the way, pork grown in the USA is considered trichinosis free. But you wouldn''t think that they way everyone talks. Your right, the media tends to overkill on what could happen and doesn''t give the balance.

[justfacts2]

Here is what the article conveniently left out that the news program pointed out - the national seafood companies shelled out $60,000 for these independent studies to be done. Believe the message now? Sorry, I will wait for my ob/gyn to say that it is safe. For now, I will stick to the list of fish and seafood that says it contains low/no mercury in the meat. This article is another clear example of this website leaving out key or important information that the public needs to know.

[grammawhamma]

"Doctors and scientists from around the country say pregnant and breastfeeding women have become so fearful about eating fish that might contain mercury, they%u2019re not getting enough seafood and that could be hurting themselves - and their babies."

The key word in the above statement is "fearful". As far as I am concerned the media and alot of so called "health studies" promote fear. Milk is bad for you because of BGH. Beef is bad because of mad cow disease. Chicken and eggs harbor salmonella. Pork has trichinosis. Fish poisons you with mercury. Vegetables are crawling with e-coli. Fruit is covered with pesticides. Caffine will cause heart disease. And the list goes on and on. Enough already!!!

[cmccloskeyx2]

Fish is not the only source of omega-3. Why not take flaxseed oil? Even if fish is a superior source for Omega-3 you could simply take more flaxseed oil or substitute it for some of the fish and still keep mercury consumption down.