Pregnant And Nursing Women Should Eat More Fish But Within Limits, Say Nutritionists

A consortium of nutrition experts has urged pregnant American women to increase their consumption of fish above US government levels recommended three years ago.

In 2004 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advised that pregnant and nursing mothers, and young children, should limit their consumption of fish low in mercury to 12 ounces (approximately two portions) a week.

They also advised them not to eat certain fish at all: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish, because they contained high levels of mercury (as methyl mercury). The agencies also advised these groups to limit their consumption of albacore tuna to 6 ounces, or one portion, per week.

However, this advice is now being challenged by a group of experts in maternal nutrition who said yesterday that pregnant women should consume a minimum of 12 ounces of seafood a week but within this to limit albacore tuna to 6 ounces a week.