Optimal nutritional intake is highly recommended during pregnancy; however, women should take extra caution while consuming seafood. Unsupervised and excessive intake of seafood could be hazardous during pregnancy (for mother as well as the growing fetus) due to high amount of mercury present in some aquatic animals. A lot of women are very fond of consuming seafood (especially shrimps), which raises the concern if shrimps are safe during pregnancy? The following article will provide important information regarding safety of eating shrimp during pregnancy.
Is It Safe to Consume Shrimp During Pregnancy?
Can you eat shrimp while pregnant? Shrimp lovers during their pregnancy can safely enjoy this seafood during pregnancy but it is highly recommended to monitor the quantity of shrimp intake. According to the recommendation of EPA and FDA, a pregnant woman can safely consume up to 340 grams or 12 oz. per week of shrimps (provided the shrimps are adequately cleaned and cooked).
Monitoring of shrimp intake is recommended because of potential risk of mercury poisoning (as shrimps contain mercury). The unsupervised intake can lead to nervous tissue damage in the developing baby and may culminate in stillbirth or other birth defects. Therefore intake of more than 2 shrimp meals per week should be strictly avoided. It is also important to follow the guidelines of EPA and FDA when it comes to seafood and also try to select seafood with low mercury levels.
Precautions to Take While Consuming Seafood During Pregnancy
When eating shrimp during pregnancy, you’d better take some precautions. You should know that other than the potential hazards of mercury poisoning, seafood is classified among the best nutritional source of omega-3 fatty acids and essential proteins that helps in the development of visual apparatus and nervous tissue. Some important points to consider are:
Avoid large fishes as the older the fish, the higher will be the mercury levels in the flesh. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests pregnant woman to avoid following:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Tilefish
- King mackerel
Now the question arise here is, what varieties of fish and seafood to consider?
There are many aquatic animals that supply small quantities of mercury; however, caution should be maintained as intake in amounts that exceed the guideline provided by FDA can be hazardous. After deliberate and extensive research conducted over time, it has been suggested that these seafood varieties are associated with minimal risk of side effects when consumed in accordance with the guidelines approved by FDA:
- Anchovies
- Shrimp
- Catfish
- Canned light tuna (limit tuna steaks and albacore tuna to 6 oz. or 170 grams per week)
- Salmon
- Pollock
- Trout
Opt for Fish with Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Besides eating shrimp during pregnancy, some pregnant women want to eat oily fishes. Oily fishes are good and can be added to meals for optimal nourishment. During pregnancy, optimal intake of seafood helps in delivering several nutrients, vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids which is best for the baby and for pregnant mother. Following are list of some oily fishes:
- Pilchards
- Whitebait
- Sardines
- Salmon
- Herring
- Kippers
- Trout
- Fresh tuna
- Eel
- Anchovies
How to Discard Harmful Bacteria in Seafood
- Do not eat shellfish and raw fish such as sashimi, raw oysters, clams, scallops and sushi
- Do not use uncooked refrigerated seafood like products labeled as nova style, kippered, jerky or smoked and lox. Using smoked seafood is OK only if it is used as an ingredient in casserole or in other cooked item. Shelf stable and canned items are also considered as safe.
- If you are consuming seafood that is obtained from local waters then keep yourself aware of recommendations and announcements of advisory board to avoid any potential hazards. If advice cannot be obtained, limit consumption of fish from local waters to 170 g (6 oz.).
- Make sure to cook the seafood at 145°F or 63°C. When fish appear opaque and separate into flakes then it is usually done. Cook lobster, shrimp and scallops until the visible part appear as milky white. Cook mussels, oysters and clams until the shells open (discard those that don’t open).
Follow Those Guidelines When Cooking
While cooking at home following below guidelines can make seafood safe to consume:
- While cooking fillets or fish, slip the tip of sharp knife into flesh to check whether it’s cooked or not. The flesh appears as opaque with flakes separated.
- Lobsters and prawns appear as red when cooked and its flesh appear as pearly opaque.
- If you are microwaving the seafood, then be sure it is cooked properly by checking several spots.
- Keep this in mind while selecting oily fish that it may contain environmental pollutants like dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). It is recommended to eat not more than 2 portions of oily fish per week