Eating fish while pregnant is good for you, US says in dietary U-turn

In a change of course, the US now wants pregnant women to eat more fish, but not the kinds that are high in mercury.

Altering its 2004 advice to shun most seafood, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in an updated report that pregnant and breast-feeding women and young children should eat fish that was low in mercury levels to gain important health benefits.

Those fish, including salmon, trout, anchovies and sardines, are high in essential omega-3 fatty acids. The FDA also noted that pollock, shrimp, tilapia, catfish, cod and canned light tuna were safe to consume while pregnant or breast-feeding.

For the first time, the agency set a minimum amount of fish needed in the diets of pregnant and breast-feeding women and young children. The agency said women should consume at least 225 grams and up to 340 grams, or two to three servings, of a variety of seafood each week. Previously, it put a cap on the amount of fish pregnant women and children should eat, but not a base level.

The updated advice aligns recommendations for pregnant women and young children with those in its 2010 dietary guidelines for Americans.

"Seafood can be a great source of protein, iron and zinc, crucial nutrients for your baby's growth and development," wrote Dr Roger Harms, a pregnancy specialist at the Mayo Clinic.