Omega-3s are very important nutrients for fetal brain development. Here are a few recommendations that have been made based on current research findings:
• The National Academies of Medicine, in its 2006 report, Seafood Choices: Balancing Benefits and Risks, recommended that “women who are or may become pregnant or who are breastfeeding may benefit from consuming seafood, especially those with the higher concentrations of EPA and DHA”.
• The European Perinatal Lipid (PERILIP) Group has recommended 200 mg DHA per day as fish or supplements during pregnancy and throughout breastfeeding.
• The FDA’s data has stated the following: “Consumption of fish by women is very low; this is not good for the fetus.” You should eat up to 12 ounces of fish per week, which may include up to 6 oz. of albacore tuna. None of the fish you eat should be fish that average more than 0.5 parts per million (ppm) of mercury. To find out which fish are not high in mercury (that is, have a mercury level less than 0.5 ppm) click here.
So it is best that pregnant women consume more omega-3s during pregnancy. Many prenatal vitamins now contain omega-3s. Talk to your physician about the prenatal vitamins that he/she is prescribing for you to see if they contain omega-3s.

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