The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advise women who may become pregnant, pregnant women and nursing mothers to avoid some types of fish, and eat fish and/or shellfish that are lower in mercury.
High levels of mercury can be transferred to your unborn baby and can cause serious health problems.
Avoid eating fish high in mercury:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Tilefish
Eat no more than 12 oz per week of fish that are lower in mercury. One serving of fish is 6 oz. Common fish eaten that are low in mercury:
- Shrimp
- Light tuna, canned
- Salmon
- Pollock
- Catfish
- Cod
- Haddock
Another commonly eaten fish is Albacore tuna. It has more mercury than canned light tuna. So when eating Albacore tuna, limit your serving size to one 6 ounce serving a week.
