US Tells Pregnant Women Don't Eat Shark, Swordfish: Mercury Again

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US Tells Pregnant Women Don't Eat Shark, Swordfish: Mercury Again

[by Abbott, Reuters.]

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010112/ts/health_fish_dc_3.html

Pregnant women should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or

tilefish because they may contain enough mercury to damage the fetus's

nervous system, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites)

said on Friday.

Young children, nursing mothers and women who may become pregnant

should avoid those fish as well, FDA said in a consumer advisory.

A National Academy of Sciences report issued last July estimated up to

60,000 children a year were born each year who had been exposed to during

pregnancy to levels of mercury that could interfer with development of the

brain and nervous system.

Even so, seafood, a naturally low-fat source of protein, can be an

important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women and women who may

become pregnant, FDA said.

" You can safely eat 12 ounces per week of cooked fish, " the FDA

advisory said. " You can choose shellfish, canned fish, smaller ocean fish or

farm-raised fish -- just pick a variety of different species. "

Consumer groups wanted fresh tuna, used in sushi or served as tuna

steak, added to the warning list as well. " We shouldn't be ignoring the risk

there, " said Bender of the Mercury Policy Project.

" The question is why fresh tuna steak were not included on the list

because they can also pose a risk, " said Caroline DeWaal of Center for

Science in the Public Interest.

Mercury enters the environment naturally and through industrial

pollution. Nearly all fish contain trace amounts of methyl mercury but

longer-lived, larger fish that feed on other fish, like shark or swordfish,

accumulate the highest amounts of methyl mercury and pose the largest threat

to people who eat them regularly.

In a related announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency said

pregnant women, women who might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young

children should eat only one meal per week of freshwater fish caught by

family members or friends.

The agency said a meal for adults should be six ounces of cooked fish

and for children, two ounces.

EPA said consumers should check with their state or local health

departments for specific advice about local waters.

Six states -- Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and

Vermont -- have issued warnings on methyl mercury in fish. Minnesota, for

example, advises pregnant or nursing women against eating swordfish or shark

while saying up to seven ounces per week of canned tuna is safe if no other

fish containing mercury is eaten.

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