Pregnant women eat a lot of fatty fish prone to premature birth

Eating too many oily fish when pregnant will increase the risk of having a baby before term. But pregnant women should still eat enough fish to ensure the health of the fetus.

Eating too much or too little fish is bad for pregnant women. (Photo: BBC) Researchers say the danger may come from the high content of mercury in oily fish such as mackerel, salmon or sardines. But the pregnant women and everyone still need to eat enough fish to stay healthy. Pregnant women should eat fish twice a week. They should avoid eating sharks, maclin and swordfish because they are especially rich in mercury and other toxic substances.

Women who are breastfeeding or preparing to become pregnant should eat fatty fish twice a week. Other women, men and boys can eat four times a week. Eat about 140 g of fish each time. Omega-3 fatty fish is rich in health. Eating enough fish will increase your child's weight and make him smarter

The study explored more than 1,000 pregnant women in Michigan, USA. Dr. Fei Xue and colleagues measured the amount of mercury in these women 's hair and contrasted with when they gave birth.

In women who give birth 2 weeks early, the risk of having double mercury in normal hair increases 3 times compared to other women. These women often eat more fatty fish, especially canned fish.

MT