New model could aid provide expectant mothers a clearer path to safe fish consumption

Fish consumption during pregnancy is a complex issue. Fish provide essential nutrients like polyunsaturated fatty acids, selenium, iodine, and vitamin D, crucial for fetal brain development. However, they also contain methyl mercury, a neurotoxin prompting the US FDA to caution pregnant women against excessive consumption.

Navigating the health risks of mercury exposure from fish is challenging because their nutritional benefits might mitigate mercury's harm. A recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology analyzed data from the New Bedford Cohort, focusing on 361 children born between 1993 and 1998. Researchers assessed neurodevelopment at age eight and measured maternal mercury exposure using third-trimester hair samples. They developed a model combining mercury estimates per fish serving with dietary data to refine their findings.

The study suggests that neurodevelopment outcomes varied based on fish mercury levels. Consumption of low-mercury fish appeared beneficial, while high-mercury fish intake potentially posed risks during pregnancy. This research aims to provide clearer guidance on fish consumption for expectant mothers, emphasizing the balance between nutritional benefits and mercury exposure risks.