Even before we are born, we need key nutrients found in fish and seafood. That’s according to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, which advises pregnant women to consume 8 to 12 ounces of a variety of seafood each week. Besides being an excellent source of baby-building protein, seafood provides nutrients such as omega-3 fats and iodine which are important to baby’s brain and mental development.
Seafood is also on the list of protein-rich first foods to introduce to infants at about 6 months of age. Just 2 to 3 ounces a week supplies baby with a good dose of EPA and DHA — vital omega-3 fats that young children need for optimal brain development.
Here’s how the experts say it: “The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically the essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids supplied through seafood, nuts, seeds, and oils, influence the infant’s fatty acid status and are among the key nutrients needed for the rapid brain development that occurs through the infant’s first 2 years of life.”
What’s the catch? Some seafood contains high amounts of methylmercury, a toxin that exists in the atmosphere. Large fish such as shark, swordfish and king mackerel are typically high in methylmercury and should be avoided by pregnant women and young children.