Expand Eating Fish While Pregnant

Women who eat fish during pregnancy could potentially higher childbearing intelligent . But remember , watch portions and choose low-mercury fish !

Food is one of the essential aspects of leading a healthy pregnancy . Because the food intake before and during pregnancy to prepare the body will be instrumental in supporting the growth of the fetus . " Good food is the beginning for the healthy growth of the fetus , " said a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology from the Faculty of medicine / RSCM Jakarta , Dr. Dr. Dwiana Ocviyanti SpOG ( K ) .

Fetus or a healthy baby is not only indicated by the increase in organ weight and physical completeness . No less important is the mental aspect of intelligence and brain . One of the nutrients that are considered as healthy foods for the brain is omega 3 fatty acids which are found mainly in fish . That's why pregnant women (pregnant women ) are advised to enter the list of fish diet to optimize the potential of the fetal brain in the womb .

On the other hand , the fish is not completely safe because it could be contained in the body of toxic substances such as mercury that can harm the body if consumed in excess . That's why health experts are still debating , to what a safe level of fish consumption for pregnant women , without causing the fetus " poisoning " of mercury .

Agency for Food and Drug Administration - FDA ( U.S. Food and Drug Administration / FDA ) recommends pregnant women consume no more than 12 ounces of fish per week . However , a coalition of medical nutrition scientists insist that the number is still too little .

" Recent data shows that women still do not consume sufficient amounts of fish , and this is very worrying , " said Judy Meehan , executive director of the National Healthy Mothers , Healthy Babies Coalition , an organization that focuses on the health of pregnant women and children .

" Quite simply , there is no other way to get a good intake of omega 3 for brain development as well as that you get from fish , " he said .

Fish is an omega-3 fatty acids , a type of beneficial fats that are important for the development of the brain's neurons . Fish intake is less than the government recommendation in fact can cause mental development of children " disturbed " . That results in the study of a number of American and British researchers published in the journal The Lancet in 2007 . In addition , the study also concluded that children born to mothers who consumed at least three servings of fish per week during pregnancy , has a mental function test results were better than their peers .

Dr. Emily Oken , an assistant professor of the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Boston , USA , is also doing a study assessing the nutritional benefits versus risks of contamination " poison " of fish consumption during pregnancy .

For this purpose , Oken and her team interviewed 341 women about fish consumption during the second trimester of pregnancy , also test the mercury levels in their blood .

When children are born already 3 years old , researchers conducted tests of motor and intellectual skills to these children . As a result, higher test scores were found in children whose mothers ate more than two servings of fish per week and has a lower mercury content .

" That is, the optimal benefits gained women who ate low-mercury fish , " Oken said , adding that a high score remains found on canned tuna pregnant women who ate more than two servings a week .

Other research that seeks greater periodically collected data on more than 25,000 children born to mothers Danish nationality . It is known that children whose mothers ate more fish during pregnancy had better motor and cognitive skills better than children whose mothers ate fish in small amounts .

" Compared to women who ate the least fish , women who ate the most fish ( about 14 ounces per week ) had a 30 percent children with developmental better . These same benefits with a month old child or older child who breastfed exclusively breastfed for a year , " he says .

The National Healthy Mothers , Healthy Babies Coalition in collaboration with the Maternal Nutrition Group , an independent community of physicians , researchers and nutritionists , in 2007 advised pregnant women to eat fish as part of a healthy diet . However , many women who interpret the guidance provided FDA as fish consumption restrictions or limitations .

In 2004 , the FDA advised pregnant women , including new mothers and young children to avoid certain types of fish that was allegedly high levels of mercury , which is likely to " poison " the development of the nervous systems of infants and children . Kind include shark , swordfish ( swordfish ) , king mackerel , and tile fish .

FDA advised to choose low-mercury types of fish and eat no more than 12 ounces , which is just two servings of fish or seafood per week . However , many Americans , including pregnant women , insufficient intake is recommended . " Our message , reduce the consumption of fish is not a good thing because the fish is important for baby's brain development ! " Meehan calls .

In addition to fish , other food must be listed on the menu is the fruit and vegetable pregnant women . Besides high in vitamins and minerals , two categories of foods are also rich in fiber and folic acid . Therefore, pregnant women are expected to eat vegetables and fruits at least five servings per day .

Sources : okezone.com