![]() Try to avoid eating the “Choices to Avoid” fish or feeding them to children.If there is no advisory, eat only one serving and no other fish that week. If you eat fish caught by family or friends, check for fish advisories.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued fish consumption guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. However, the benefits of breastfeeding may be greater than the possible adverse effects of exposure to mercury through breast milk.Īlthough fish remains an excellent source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals for breastfeeding women, some care must be taken in how much and what kind to eat. When a mother eats fish, the mercury in the fish can be passed into her breast milk. How much and what types of fish are recommended for breastfeeding women to consume?Īlthough mercury naturally occurs throughout the environment, the mother’s diet is the primary source of mercury exposure for most breastfed infants before they are introduced to complementary foods. Exposure to mercury can affect the infant’s brain and nervous system development during pregnancy and after birth. Mercury can pass from a mother to her baby through the placenta during pregnancy and, in smaller amounts, through breast milk after birth. How might mercury affect breastfeeding mothers and babies? People who work in recycling plants, who manufacture items with mercury, and who handle dental amalgam might have some mercury exposure on the job. Small amounts of mercury are also used in making common household items like fluorescent bulbs and some thermometers. Mercury collects in streams, lakes, and oceans, where fish and other animals are exposed. Mercury is a naturally-occurring element in the environment and is also released into the environment through human activities such as burning coal and oil. Breastfeeding mothers should minimize exposure to mercury in their diets, at home, and at work. In general, smaller fish like sardines and scallops contain less mercury. Larger fish that have lived longer (swordfish, tuna, shark, king mackerel and tilefish) have the highest levels of mercury because they have had more time to accumulate it. The best way to reduce mercury exposure from fish is to eat mostly small fish, which naturally contain less mercury. ![]() Because mercury accumulates in the muscle tissue (filet) of the fish, neither preparation (trimming skin or fat) nor cooking method reduce mercury exposure.
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