Researchers found that balancing the amount of fish consumed during pregnancy is crucial in order to avoid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children.
Through a study conducted by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers have found that one out of eleven children have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) due to the intake of high levels of mercury by the pregnant mother.
Pregnant women who eat a lot of fish during pregnancy increase the level of mercury intake, thereby increasing the chances of their children to be diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by the age of 8.
The author of the study were also quick to clarify that though fish was the primary source of mercury intake, the consumption of two portions of fish per week by pregnant women can also help prevent ADHD in a child. This implies the "difficulties of balancing the benefits of fish intake with the detriments of low-level mercury exposure in developing dietary recommendations in pregnancy," the researchers said according to Telegraph.
The researchers found that one microgram of mercury per gram of hair or more was associated with a rise in the chances of the child having ADHD symptoms. This level, say the researchers, was slightly lower than what the current recommended safe limit is.
"This is an important paper that should be considered carefully. For me the most important take home message is that a mother eating more than 2 helpings of fish a week appears to reduce the risk of hyperactivity in her child by a considerable amount," Jean Golding, Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology at University of Bristol told The Telegraph. "The other message is that high levels of mercury in the mother have some adverse consequences for the child's behavior - but this must imply that it is not the mercury from seafood that is the culprit. This is a complex field, but important to untangle. Meanwhile the take home message for pregnant mothers is that eating fish is good for the future behavior of her child."
"We're aware of the paper which needs to be considered alongside the existing literature on this issue. The European Food Safety Authority is currently reviewing the risks to health from mercury and methylmercury and is expected to publish its preliminary opinion later this year. The FSA's advice remains that risks from mercury in fish are mainly an issue for pregnant women and women who intend to become pregnant," a spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said according to the report.
"This is because of the possible risks to the developing nervous system of the unborn child. Our advice is that pregnant women and women intending to become pregnant shouldn't eat more than four medium-sized cans or two fresh tuna steaks per week. They should also avoid shark, marlin and swordfish."
