Choosing a variety of healthy foods when you’re pregnant is one of the best things you can do for your baby. But many moms-to-be often wonder if eating seafood during pregnancy is safe.
The good news is you can — and should — eat seafood during pregnancy, with a few exceptions. Here’s how you can enjoy seafood safely when you’re pregnant.
Benefits and Risks of Eating Seafood During Pregnancy
Seafood is an essential source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, and its omega-3 fats are vital for your baby’s brain and eye development. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should aim to eat 12 ounces of seafood each week to reap its health benefits.
As long as it’s cooked, most fish is safe for pregnant women. However, raw fish (like sushi or ceviche) can contain harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Some fish have high levels of mercury, a metal that can harm your unborn baby’s developing brain. During pregnancy, mercury exposure can directly affect the baby’s development through the placenta. This is why it’s important to choose fish low in mercury and avoid those with high mercury levels while you’re pregnant — and when you’re breastfeeding.
Can you eat seafood while nursing?
Like during pregnancy, mercury exposure through seafood remains a concern while nursing. Mercury levels in your diet can influence the levels found in breast milk, although the risk of harm is lower than direct exposure in utero.
But if you choose options low in mercury, eating seafood is safe and beneficial when you’re nursing. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advise breastfeeding women to eat 8 to 12 ounces (two to three servings) of low-mercury seafood per week. This benefits both you and your baby, as the protein, omega-3s, and essential nutrients help with the continued development of an infant’s brain and eyes.
Which Fish Are Safest to Eat During Pregnancy?
Variety in your diet is always a good idea, and fish is no exception. Different kinds of fish provide different types and amounts of nutrients — so mix them up. You’ll get the most omega-3 fats from oily fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel, but leaner fish are a healthy option, too.
Always buy fish from a reputable source. It should look fresh and smell like seawater.
Whatever fish you choose, cook it to an internal temperature of 145.0 F. This temperature is high enough to kill bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Grilled, broiled, roasted, or poached fish is healthier than fried fish.
Safest choices: Eat 8 to 12 ounces per week
It’s safest to eat fish low in mercury two to three times a week, or up to 12 ounces. This amount maximizes the benefits of eating fish while keeping mercury exposure within safe limits for you and your baby.
The FDA lists the following fish as low in mercury:
- Anchovies.
- Black sea bass.
- Catfish.
- Cod.
- Flounder.
- Haddock.
- Herring.
- Mackerel (Atlantic/Pacific).
- Perch (freshwater, ocean).
- Pollock.
- Salmon.
- Sardines.
- Sole.
- Tilapia.
- Trout (freshwater).
- Tuna (skipjack or canned light).
Try to include these and other non-seafood proteins each week in your diet.
Limit these to 6 ounces per week
These fish have higher mercury levels, so limit them to 6 ounces or less each week:
- Bluefish.
- Chilean sea bass.
- Grouper.
- Halibut.
- Mahi-mahi.
- Monkfish.
- Rockfish.
- Sablefish.
- Snapper.
- Spanish mackerel.
- Striped bass.
- White (albacore) tuna.
Seafood to Avoid During Pregnancy
Large fish with a long lifespan are likely to have high levels of mercury because they eat smaller fish. Over time, the mercury from those smaller fish accumulates in the flesh and fat of larger fish.
Everyone should avoid fish with high levels of mercury. But given that mercury is most harmful to a developing brain, it’s especially crucial to steer clear of certain fish if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Growing children shouldn’t eat them either.
The FDA considers the following fish to have the highest level of mercury:
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Tilefish
- Tuna (bigeye)
What About Non-Fish Seafood During Pregnancy?
The term seafood refers to both finfish and shellfish. Shellfish is low in mercury and a safe choice for pregnant women. It’s lower in omega-3 fats but high in protein and the essential vitamins and minerals you and your growing baby need.
You can include these shellfish in your diet as part of your 8 to 12 ounces each week:
- Clams
- Crab
- Lobster
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Scallops
- Shrimp
Cook clams, mussels, and oysters in their shells until the shells open on their own. Cook other shellfish until they are pearly white and opaque.
If you fish or dig for your shellfish, pay close attention to fishing advisories. Areas of shoreline sometimes close because of pollution or red tide poisoning. It’s unsafe to eat shellfish from those areas.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .