What kind of fish not to eat when pregnant

Food and Drug Administration. Garner CD. Nutrition in pregnancy. Staying healthy and safe. Eating raw, undercooked, or cold meats and seafood. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Dietary advice for moms-to-be. See also Air travel during pregnancy Allergy medications during pregnancy Ankle swelling during pregnancy Antibiotics and pregnancy Aspirin during pregnancy Baby brain Pregnancy back pain Breast-feeding while pregnant Childbirth classes Couvade syndrome Dental work during pregnancy Thinking about exercise during pregnancy?

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Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Reprint Permissions A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Do you have a fisherman in the family? Note that if eating freshly caught fish, you should "eat only one serving and no other fish that week," says the FDA. Avoid eating any fish involved in current fish advisories. Certain fish, particularly large predators at the top of the food chain, contain high levels of methyl-mercury, a potent neurotoxin dispersed into the air by coal-fired power plants.

Mercury is particularly damaging to the developing brain, and studies have found that its negative impacts can cancel out the brain-boosting powers of fish oil. Like omega-3s, mercury can pass to babies through breast milk —and so can polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs , flame-retardant chemicals linked to neurological damage and cancer. Though banned in , PCBs persist in oceans and waterways and accumulate in the bodies of certain fish.

Here's the FDA's list of fish with the highest mercury levels to banish from your plate:. Can Pregnant Women Eat Seafood? Save Pin FB More.

Credit: Shutterstock. By Dashka Slater and Nicole Harris. Advice about avoiding all fish during pregnancy is little more than fishy fiction. Most of the concerns stem from the fact fish contain mercury, a metal that collects in oceans, lakes and rivers and is acquired by fish from the water and by eating other fish. Being exposed to mercury in the womb is associated with many negative developmental consequences, which may lead pregnant women to believe that they should swear off seafood for nine months.

Luckily, many popular types of fish in the United States, like salmon, tuna and tilapia, have such low levels of mercury that they can be eaten a few times a week without risk of harming an unborn child. There are, however, seven types of fish that should be completely avoided during pregnancy because they are known to contain the highest levels of mercury:.

Food safety and medical experts recommend avoiding raw fish during pregnancy, since the weakened immune system of expecting mothers may increase risk for foodborne illness. Aside from these exceptions, incorporating fish into your diet while pregnant provides many nutritional benefits. Fish provides many key nutrients for pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as growing babies, including protein. Pregnant women should eat at least 70 grams of protein per day.

Fish is also a source of healthy fats. It is recommended that everyone—not just pregnant women—keep their fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of total calories per day. And some types of fat are more beneficial to health than others.