Seafood and Pregnancy

Do’s and Don’ts for Expecting/Nursing Moms

  1. DON’T eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
  2. DO eat up to 12 ounces of fish and shellfish a week. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
  3. DO mix up the types of fish and shellfish you eat.
  4. DON’T eat the same type of fish or shellfish more than once a week.

Sushi

Certain types of cooked sushi such as eel and California rolls are safe to eat when pregnant. However, raw fish should also be avoided during pregnancy because it may contain parasites such as flukes or worms

Mercury in Fish and Seafood

Fish and seafood can be an important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women and those of childbearing age who may become pregnant. Nonetheless, some large long-lived fish contain high levels of a form of mercury called methyl mercury that may potentially harm an unborn baby’s developing nervous system.

SPECIESMEAN (PPM)RANGE (PPM)
Bass (Chilean)0.3860.085 – 2.180
Mackerel Spanish (Gulf of Mexico)0.4540.070 – 1.560
Halibut0.252ND -1.520
Snapper0.189ND – 1.366
Lobster Northern (American)0.310.05 – 1.31
Tuna all (Fresh or frozen) 0.383ND – 1.30
Grouper (All species)0.4650.053 – 1.205
Monkfish0.1800.020 – 1.020
Bass
(Sea bass/ Striped Bass/ Rockfish)
0.219ND – 0.960
Orange Roughy0.5540.296 – 0.855
PPM=parts per million
ND=Not detectable – mercury concentration below detection level (Level of Detection (LOD)=0.01ppm)

Mercury Levels in Seafood Species

The following 3 tables provide the mean and range of mercury levels in a variety of fish and shellfish

Large Fish That Can Contain High Levels of Mercury

SPECIESMEAN (PPM)RANGE (PPM)
Shark0.988ND – 4.54
Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)1.450.65-3.73
Swordfish0.976ND – 3.22
King mackerel0.730.23 – 1.67
PPM=parts per million
ND=Not detectable – mercury concentration below detection level (Level of Detection (LOD)=0.01ppm)

Fish/Shellfish With Much Lower Levels of Mercury

SPECIESMEAN (PPM)RANGE (PPM)
Tuna (canned) 0.118ND – 0.852
Pollock 0.041ND – 0.78
Trout Seawater 0.256ND – 0.744
Sablefish 0.220ND – 0.700
Trout Freshwater 0.072ND – 0.678
Crab (Blue, King, and Snow) 0.060ND- 0.610
Cod 0.095ND – 0.420
Squid0.070ND – 0.400
Anchovies 0.043ND – 0.340
Catfish0.049ND – 0.314
Carp0.140.01 – 0.27
Oysters 0.013ND – 0.250
Scallop0.050ND – 0.22
Salmon (Fresh or frozen) 0.014ND – 0.190
Herring 0.044ND – 0.135
Tilapia 0.010ND – 0.070
Crawfish0.033ND – 0.051
ClamND ND
Shrimp ND ND
Salmon (Canned) ND ND
ClamND ND
PPM=parts per million
ND=Not detectable – mercury concentration below detection level (Level of Detection (LOD)=0.01ppm)