Research Do not fish more than three times per week for pregnant women

That pregnant women should pay attention to a healthy diet is known. Now Greek scientists warn that pregnant women should not eat too much fish. This causes children to grow rapidly in the first two years of life, but then later develop an increased risk of overweight and obesity.
Pregnant women consume the oddest combinations of foods, such as sour cucumbers with cream. But not such unusual combinations can harm the child, but an everyday food. Researchers from the University of Crete examined the eating habits of pregnant women and found that expectant mothers should not eat too much fish. Consuming too much fish causes children to be more likely to get overweight or develop obesity later on. The doctors published the results of their investigation in the journal "JAMA Pediatrics".

Too much fish harmful? Image: BillionPhotos.com - fotolia

Pregnant women should definitely keep an eye on their fish consumption
When pregnant women eat fish three times a week, this diet causes children to grow faster in the first two years of life. However, this diet also brings disadvantages. Affected children have an increased likelihood of developing obesity later in life. The results are in line with the recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. Pregnant women should quietly eat fish, but not more than two to three servings a week, explain the experts. Fish contains vital nutrients for the development of fetuses and should therefore not be avoided by pregnant mothers. But pregnant women should keep an eye on the amount of fish consumed.

Effects of much fish consumption affect girls more
Fish should be consumed by pregnant women at least once, but less than three times a week. Thus, an increased risk of obesity or childhood obesity can be avoided, says study author Leda Chatzi of the "University of Crete". Chatzi and her co-authors analyzed data from 26,184 pregnant women and their children in Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. The researchers examined the children every two years, from birth to the age of 6 years. If pregnant women consume fish more than three times a week, their children will later have a higher BMI value at ages 2, 4 and 6, the researchers explain. Higher fish consumption during pregnancy was also associated with an increased risk of rapid growth during the first two years of life. The extent of the effect of fish consumption was greater in girls than in boys, the researchers say.

Fish contains organic pollutants that may support obesity
Previous studies have focused on the neurocognitive damage that can be caused by methylmercury, but not the effect on growth, says Chatzi. Fish is usually an integral part of a healthy diet. However, it is a complex exposure, adds the physician. On the one hand, fish is an important food source for omega-3 fatty acids. These are transmitted via the placenta and reduce our fat deposits by reducing the production of fat cells, explains Chatzi. On the other hand, humans absorb organic pollutants via fish, which contribute to the development of obesity. With higher fish consumption, the possible negative effects of pollutants could outweigh the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, the researcher suspects.

More precise data is needed to understand the effects of environmental pollutants
Although the researchers have collected much information about the consumption of different fish species, there is not enough data collected on the cooking process or the water quality. This information would have given them the opportunity to take a closer look at the interplay of valuable nutrients and environmental pollutants. Therefore, our assumption that fish-associated pollutant exposure plays a role in the observed effects is purely speculative, Chatzi explains.