A new study has connected the mercury levels in women shortly after they gave birth with an increased risk that their child would develop ADHD by the time he or she turned eight years old. We know that it is best that women who are pregnant avoid fish that contains mercury. This is another reason why.
You have probably heard that women who are pregnant should avoid eating certain kinds of fish in order to avoid ingesting mercury during pregnancy. In general, this means avoiding swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel, because those are known to contain high mercury levels. The idea is to avoid ingesting mercury so as not to damage the brain of the developing baby.
A study was done that included children who are from the New Bedford, Massachusetts, area. Kids born to mothers who had high levels of mercury shortly after giving birth were more likely to exhibit signs of ADHD at school by the time the child was eight years old. The researchers involved in this study were from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health.
New Bedford is a coastal town, and, according to Boston.com, women there “tend to eat more fish than the average American.” The women in the study ate an average of four servings of fish per week. The study found that moms who ate two or more six ounce servings of fish each week, while pregnant, had children who had a 60% lower risk of developing ADHD.
Another finding from the study showed that, out of the 604 kids involved in the study, the ones whose mothers consumed the most fish while pregnant were the least likely to exhibit symptoms of ADHD in class. Those symptoms included being fidgety, distracted, and impulsive.
It is important to keep in mind that eating fish does not automatically mean that the women were consuming mercury. Some fish, like salmon, tuna, and sardines, have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in them than do other fish. The omega-3 fatty acids are thought to be a really good thing for cognitive function. All fish, (even the ones with a higher level of mercury in them), have vitamin D, B-12, and iodine, which might play a role in brain development.
In short, it is a really good idea for pregnant women to avoid eating fish that are more likely to contain a higher amount of mercury. One reason appears to be that the mercury results in the baby having a higher risk of developing ADHD. However, this doesn’t mean avoid all fish, because fish contain vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids that are good for the brain.
Image by Daniel Panev on Flickr