Pregnancy and Seafood: The Do's and Don'ts

As we all know, pregnancy is a time of wonder and worry. There have been many studies about what foods are safe to eat and what foods to stay away from. Here are a few guidelines to help you make choices a little easier and allow you to concentrate on the joy that is happening in your life.

Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which studies have shown to aid in the development of brain and vision function. However, due to coal plant pollution, some fish are contaminated with Methyl Mercury. Methyl mercury is a neurotoxin and causes neurological damage, developmental delays and learning deficits. These are things you, of course, do not want to put into your body especially while pregnant.

To make it simple, we have put together a chart below listing which seafood is safe to eat while pregnant, seafood that should be limited during pregnancy and seafood that is dangerous and should not be consumed while pregnant.

For more information on seafood and pregnancy, please feel free to visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) web site here.