Is it okay to eat salmon when pregnant

Yes, it's safe to eat fish if you're pregnant – as long as you limit the amount of seafood you eat and choose low-mercury options. (Same goes if you're trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding.)

In fact, if you don't normally eat seafood, consider adding it to your pregnancy, pre-pregnancy, or breastfeeding diet. Fish offers nutritional benefits, including brain-boosting omega-3s, for you and your baby. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, herring, trout, sardines, and pollock.

Leading health organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration all recommend that women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breastfeeding eat low-mercury seafood every week. Specifically, two to three 4-ounce servings (8 to 12 ounces in total) a week.

However, seafood contains the metal mercury, which is passed to your baby when you're pregnant and is present in breast milk. Too much mercury can harm a baby's developing brain and nervous system.

Read on to learn how to balance getting the nutritional benefits fish offers while limiting your baby's exposure to mercury.

Benefits of eating fish while pregnant

Fish has a lot of nutrients that are important for your health and your baby's development. The key nutrients are DHA and EPA, two omega-3 fatty acids that are difficult to find in other foods. Omega-3s are passed to your baby when you're pregnant and are in breast milk when you're nursing.

Fish is also low in saturated fat and contains omega-6 fatty acids, protein, B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iron, iodine, and choline.

Many studies underline the importance of omega-3s for brain development. According to one review of research, eating just one or more servings of fish each week (compared with no fish) has a beneficial impact on fetal neurodevelopment.

Another study of almost 12,000 women found those who ate more than two servings of fish weekly during pregnancy had children who did better on developmental tests (of intelligence and behavior) than those who ate less fish.

There are many other benefits of eating fish while you're pregnant or breastfeeding. For example:

• Omega-3s are the building blocks of the retina and support your baby's developing vision.
• Choline supports the development of your baby's spinal cord.
• Iron and zinc support your baby's immune system.
• Omega-3s promote bone health for both you and your developing baby.
• Eating fish while pregnant can support your heart health by reducing blood clotting and levels of triglycerides (blood fat) and lowering blood pressure.
• Some (but not all) studies also show that eating fish during pregnancy may help prevent preterm birth and low birth weight.
• Eating fish may help your mood and help ward off depression during pregnancy and postpartum depression. Low seafood consumption during pregnancy is linked with higher levels of depression.

Risks of eating fish while pregnant

It's possible that if you eat fish containing high levels of mercury (or even too much fish that contains moderate amounts) it could negatively affect your growing baby. Some fish may also contain other harmful toxins, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT (Cichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane), chlordane, and dioxins. That's why it's important to pay close attention to the kind of fish you're eating and how much of it you consume.

Some mercury comes from natural sources, such as volcanoes and forest fires. Power plants, cement plants, and certain chemical and industrial manufacturers also release mercury into the air. Mercury has been used for decades to make products such as thermometers, thermostats, and fluorescent lights. When discarded, these items can release mercury into landfills.

When mercury settles into water, bacteria convert the metal into a form called methylmercury. Fish absorb methylmercury from the water they swim in and the organisms they eat. Methylmercury binds tightly to the proteins in fish muscle and remains there even after the fish is cooked.

Your body easily absorbs methylmercury from fish. When you're pregnant, methylmercury crosses the placenta. While the metal doesn't typically enter breast milk in large amounts, the mercury that does make its way into your milk is absorbed by your nursing baby's body. Babies (including those in utero) and young children are generally thought to be most vulnerable to harm from methylmercury.

Many studies have shown that exposure to too much methylmercury during pregnancy can impair a baby's growing brain and nervous system. The results can range from mild to severe. According to the EPA, cognitive skills (like memory and attention), language, motor skills, and vision may be affected.

Safe fish to eat while pregnant

Best choices for low-mercury fish

According to the FDA and EPA, these are the safest low-mercury fish and other seafood for women of childbearing age, including those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive. Eat two to three 4-ounce servings (8 to 12 ounces) a week.

• anchovy
• Atlantic croaker
• Atlantic mackerel
• black sea bass
• butterfish
• catfish
• clam
• cod
• crab
• crawfish
• flounder
• haddock
• hake
• herring
• lobster (American and spiny)
• mullet
• oyster
• Pacific chub mackerel
• perch (freshwater and ocean)
• pickerel
• plaice
• pollock
• salmon
• sardine
• scallop
• shad
• shrimp
• skate
• smelt
• sole
• squid
• tilapia
• trout (freshwater)
• tuna (canned light)
• whitefish
• whiting

Good choices for low-mercury fish

According to the FDA and EPA, if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, these low-mercury fish and seafood are safe to eat in limited amounts. Eat no more than 1 (4-ounce) serving a week, and don't eat other fish that week.

• bluefish
• buffalo fish
• carp
• Chilean sea bass/Patagonian toothfish
• grouper
• halibut
• mahi mahi/dolphinfish
• monkfish
• rockfish
• sablefish
• sheepshead fish
• snapper
• Spanish mackerel
• striped bass (ocean)
• tilefish (Atlantic Ocean)
• tuna (albacore/white tuna, canned and fresh/frozen)
• tuna (yellowfin)
• weakfish/seatrout
• white croaker/Pacific croaker

Fish to avoid during pregnancy

The FDA and EPA recommend that all women of childbearing age and young children avoid the following high-mercury fish species:

• king mackerel
• marlin
• orange roughy
• shark
• swordfish
• tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico
• bigeye tuna

Note: Wondering whether you can eat fish that's caught locally? Check advisories from your state or local health and environmental agencies to figure out which fish to avoid and how much of each type is safe to eat. Fish in local waters may be contaminated with mercury or pollutants.

These advisories are usually indicated on signposts in fishing areas. You can also access your state's advisories on Purdue University's Fish4Health map.

If you don't find an advisory for a local fish, the FDA recommends limiting your intake to one 6-ounce serving and not eating any other fish that week.

Can I eat salmon while pregnant?

Yes, put salmon on the menu! Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids and other valuable nutrients. It's also on the list of safe fish to consume while pregnant or breastfeeding, as it contains one of the lowest concentrations of mercury.

According to the FDA, the mercury concentration in fresh or frozen salmon is typically 0.022 PPM (parts per million). In canned salmon, it's 0.014 PPM. (For comparison, shark, swordfish, and tilefish contain around 1 PPM).

Just because it's considered safe doesn't mean you should eat unlimited amounts of salmon, however. Even "safe" fish contains some mercury and should be a limited part of your diet (8 to 12 ounces a week). Experts also recommend that you vary the type of fish you eat. So even if salmon is your favorite, don't overdo it – and include other fish in your diet, too.

Can I eat canned tuna while pregnant?

Yes, but pay attention to the kind of tuna you eat. Many people prefer canned white tuna. But because albacore (solid white) tuna contains three times more mercury than light tuna, the FDA has different recommendations for how much a pregnant or breastfeeding woman should eat:

• Canned light tuna: This is in the "best choices" category. Limit to two to three servings (up to 12 ounces) a week.
• Fresh or canned white tuna: Limit to one serving (up to 4 ounces) a week, and don't eat other fish that week.

Follow the same guidelines for eating tuna while you're breastfeeding or trying to conceive.

Can I eat raw fish while pregnant?

It's not safe to eat raw fish during pregnancy or other raw seafood. That means you'll have to skip sushi with uncooked fish, sashimi, ceviche, and uncooked oysters, clams, and scallops. If you're eating in a restaurant, ask that your seafood be well cooked.

Raw seafood may contain parasites or bacteria, such as Listeria, that can cause foodborne illness. Pregnant women are more susceptible to these illnesses, and they're especially dangerous during pregnancy.

Don't eat refrigerated smoked seafood (the label may say: nova-style, lox, kippered, smoked, or jerky), which could contain Listeria. If you're going to eat refrigerated smoked seafood, make sure it's in a cooked dish that reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This will kill any harmful germs. Smoked seafood is safe during pregnancy if it's canned, shelf stable, or made in a cooked dish.

Also avoid raw fish if you're trying to conceive, unless you're sure you're not pregnant. It's safe to eat raw fish if you're breastfeeding, as long as you avoid fish with high levels of mercury.

What if I don't eat fish or seafood?

Some of the nutrients in fish and seafood can be obtained by eating other foods. But fish is the best source of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. (Other foods typically contain ALA, an omega-3 that provides some health benefits, but not the same ones you get from DHA and EPA.)

If you don't eat fish or seafood but want to make sure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids, you can eat:

• Fortified foods: Many foods – such as eggs, milk, soy beverages, juice, yogurt, bread, and cereal – are now fortified with omega-3s, but most of these contain only ALA. (Food labels often don't specify the type of omega-3.)
• Plant foods: ALA is the only omega-3 found in plants. Good sources of ALA include nuts (such as walnuts), seeds (such as chia seeds and flaxseeds), and plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil).

While omega-3 supplements haven't been proven to provide the same benefits during pregnancy as eating fish and other seafood, they do provide EPA and DHA and are mercury-free. Many contain fish oil, but mercury isn't stored in fatty tissue, so it's not in the oil. However, PCBs – a group of industrial pollutants that can harm your baby's nervous system – may be found in fish oil. Look for a supplement brand that filters the oil to eliminate toxins such as PCBs.

Caution: Cod liver oil, which contains omega-3s, is very high in vitamin A, which can be toxic at high doses. (It's also impossible to verify whether the oil has been filtered to eliminate toxins.)

Safety tips for eating seafood while pregnant

In addition to limiting the amounts, avoiding high-mercury and uncooked seafood, and varying the types of seafood you consume, keep these tips in mind:

Is it safe to eat salmon while pregnant?

How much salmon is safe during pregnancy?

What fish to avoid when pregnant?