Fish Intake during Pregnancy and Foetal Neurodevelopment-A Systematic Review of the Evidence (original) (raw)
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Maternal fish and other seafood intakes during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at age 4 years
Public Health Nutrition, 2009
Objective: To analyse the relationship between maternal intakes of fish and other seafood during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at age 4 years. Although pregnant women are advised to limit seafood intakes because of possible neurotoxin contamination, several studies suggest that overall maternal seafood intakes are associated with improved child neurodevelopment, perhaps because of higher DHA intakes. Design: The study uses data from a prospective birth cohort study. Maternal seafood intakes were assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ administered shortly after delivery. Multivariate linear regression was used to estimate associations between seafood consumption and scores on the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MCSA). Analyses were stratified by breast-feeding duration as breast milk is a source of DHA during the postnatal phase of the brain growth spurt. Setting: Menorca, Spain, 1997-2001. Subjects: Full-term children (n 392) with data on maternal diet in pregnancy, breast-feeding duration and neurodevelopment at age 4 years. Results: Among children breast-fed for ,6 months, maternal fish intakes of .2-3 times/week were associated with significantly higher scores on several MCSA subscales compared with intakes #1 time/week. There was no association among children breast-fed for longer periods. Maternal intakes of other seafood (shellfish/squid) were, however, inversely associated with scores on several subscales, regardless of breast-feeding duration.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013
Background: Fish is a rich source of essential nutrients for fetal development, but in contrast, it is also a well-known route of exposure to environmental pollutants. Objective: We assessed whether fish intake during pregnancy is associated with fetal growth and the length of gestation in a panel of European birth cohort studies. Design: The study sample of 151,880 mother-child pairs was derived from 19 population-based European birth cohort studies. Individual data from cohorts were pooled and harmonized. Adjusted cohort-specific effect estimates were combined by using a randomand fixed-effects meta-analysis. Results: Women who ate fish .1 time/wk during pregnancy had lower risk of preterm birth than did women who rarely ate fish (#1 time/wk); the adjusted RR of fish intake .1 but ,3 times/wk was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.92), and for intake 3times/wk,theadjustedRRwas0.89(953 times/wk, the adjusted RR was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.96). Women with a higher intake of fish during pregnancy gave birth to neonates with a higher birth weight by 8.9 g (95% CI: 3.3, 14.6 g) for .1 but ,3 times/wk and 15.2 g (95% CI: 8.9, 21.5 g) for 3times/wk,theadjustedRRwas0.89(953 times/wk independent of gestational age. The association was greater in smokers and in overweight or obese women. Findings were consistent across cohorts. Conclusion: This large, international study indicates that moderate fish intake during pregnancy is associated with lower risk of preterm birth and a small but significant increase in birth weight.
To sea or not to sea: benefits and risks of gestational fish consumption
Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.), 2008
Prenatal nutritional status and the gestational environmental milieu have increasingly been identified as major determinants of long-term morbidity and mortality for the developing child. While omega-3 fatty acids - found abundantly in fish - are required for normal fetal development as well as for optimal maternal outcome, recent public health warnings to limit some types of seafood intake because of potential contamination with chemical toxicants have resulted in a dilemma for prenatal educators and maternity care providers. This paper reviews the benefits and harms of gestational seafood consumption and provides practical recommendations to address this important public health dilemma.
Low consumption of seafood in early pregnancy as a risk factor for preterm delivery …
British Medical Journal
Objective To determine the relation between intake of seafood in pregnancy and risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Aarhus, Denmark. Participants 8729 pregnant women. Main outcome measures Preterm delivery and low birth weight. Results The occurrence of preterm delivery differed significantly across four groups of seafood intake, falling progressively from 7.1% in the group never consuming fish to 1.9% in the group consuming fish as a hot meal and an open sandwich with fish at least once a week. Adjusted odds for preterm delivery were increased by a factor of 3.6 (95% confidence interval 1.2 to 11.2) in the zero consumption group compared with the highest consumption group. Analyses based on quantified intakes indicated that the working range of the dose-response relation is mainly from zero intake up to a daily intake of 15 g fish or 0.15 g n-3 fatty acids. Estimates of risk for low birth weight were similar to those for preterm delivery. Conclusions Low consumption of fish was a strong risk factor for preterm delivery and low birth weight. In women with zero or low intake of fish, small amounts of n-3 fatty acids-provided as fish or fish oil-may confer protection against preterm delivery and low birth weight.
European Journal of Epidemiology, 2006
We examined the association between exposure to seafood intake during two periods of pregnancy on the one hand and risks of preterm delivery and postterm delivery on the other. In a prospective cohort of 8729 pregnant Danish women, we assessed frequency of fish meals during the first and second trimester of pregnancy by questionnaires completed around gestation weeks 16 and 30, respectively. When fish intake was based solely on intake reported for the early period of pregnancy, mean gestation length was shorter by 3.91 (95% CI: 2.24-5.58) days and odds of preterm delivery were increased 2.38 (1.23-4.61) times in those who never consumed fish (n = 308) vs. those who consumed both fish as main meal and fish in sandwiches at least once per week (n = 785). These measures were similar when fish intake was based solely on intake reported for mid-pregnancy. In the subgroup of women reporting same intake in the two trimesters, those who never consumed fish (n = 165) had 8.57 (5.46-11.7) days shorter mean gestation and 19.6 (2.32-165) times increased odds of preterm delivery, compared to high fish consumers (n = 127); odds of elective and postterm delivery were reduced by a factor 0.33 (0.11-1.02) and 0.34 (0.12-0.95), respectively, in zero fish consumers. All analyses were adjusted for potential confounding by factors such as maternal smoking, height, and prepregnant weight. We conclude that never consuming fish in the first two trimesters of pregnancy was an extremely strong risk factor for preterm delivery but was also associated with reduced risks of elective delivery and postterm delivery.
Fish consumption during child bearing age: A quantitative risk–benefit analysis on neurodevelopment
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2000
The fish ingredient N3-docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 n-3 (DHA) stimulates brain development. On the other hand methylmercury (MeHg) in fish disturbes the developing central nervous system.Here the IQ score in children is considered as an aggregate measure of in utero brain development.To determine the effect of DHA exposure on prenatal neurodevelopment the maternal DHA intake during pregnancy was compared with its
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2019
Abundant data are now available to evaluate relationships between seafood consumption in pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development. We conducted two systematic reviews utilizing methodologies detailed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Scientific Advisory Committee 2020-2025. After reviewing 44 publications on 106,237 mother-offspring pairs and 25,960 children, our technical expert committee developed two conclusion statements that included the following: "Moderate and consistent evidence indicates that consumption of a wide range of amounts and types of commercially available seafood during pregnancy is associated with improved neurocognitive development of offspring as compared to eating no seafood. Overall, benefits to neurocognitive development began at the lowest amounts of seafood consumed (∼4 oz/wk) and continued through the highest amounts, above 12 oz/wk, some range up to > 100 oz/wk.", "This evidence does not meet the criteria for "strong evidence" only due to a paucity of randomized controlled trials that may not be ethical or feasible to conduct for pregnancy" and "Moderate and consistent evidence indicates that consumption of > 4 oz/wk and likely > 12 oz/wk of seafood during childhood has beneficial associations with neurocognitive outcomes." No net adverse neurocognitive outcomes were reported among offspring at the highest ranges of seafood intakes despite associated increases in mercury exposures. Data are insufficient for conclusive statements regarding lactation, optimal amounts, categories or specific species characterized by mercury content and neurocognitive development; although there is some evidence that dark/oily seafood may be more beneficial. Research was conducted in healthy women and children and is generalizable to US populations. Assessment of seafood as a whole food integrates inherently integrates any adverse effects from neurotoxicants, if any, and benefits to neurocognition from omega-3 fats, as well as other nutrients critical to optimal neurological development. Understanding of the effects of seafood consumption on neurocognition can have significant public health implications. rich source of key nutrients that are biologically essential for optimal fetal and child neurodevelopment including iodine, vitamin B 12 , iron, vitamin D, zinc, manganese and highly unsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids [1]. Women are more likely to the achieve optimal intakes of these nutrients when consuming seafood in pregnancy [2].
Fish Intake in Pregnancy and Child Growth
JAMA Pediatrics, 2016
IMPORTANCE-Maternal fish intake in pregnancy has been shown to influence fetal growth. The extent to which fish intake affects childhood growth and obesity remains unclear. OBJECTIVE-To examine whether fish intake in pregnancy is associated with offspring growth and the risk of childhood overweight and obesity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS-Multicenter, population-based birth cohort study of singleton deliveries from 1996 to 2011 in Belgium,