is fish safe to eat when pregnant

Most fish, in limitation, are safe in pregnancy and should be part of your regular, balanced diet. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning that four types of fish should not be eaten in pregnancy (and also while nursing) because they could contain enough mercury to damage a fetal brain. Mercury enters the environment naturally and through industrial pollution. Nearly all fish contain trace amounts of methylmercury, but longer-lived, larger fish that feed on other fish, such as shark or swordfish, accumulate the highest amounts of methylmercury and pose the greatest threat to people who eat them regularly.

The fish that should not be eaten during pregnancy, according to the FDA, include:

• Shark
• Swordfish
• King mackerel
• Tilefish