Kinds of fish that pregnant women should eat, avoid

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Various medical studies extoll the virtues of eating fish regularly. It's an excellent, low-fat source of protein and other nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows omega-3 fatty acids help protect your heart, and if you're pregnant, boost your baby's brain development.

But there's a well-known catch. Some seafood contains high levels of a form of mercury, called methylmercury.

"Mercury can damage the brain, and it can damage the nervous system, especially when that exposure occurs in the womb," said Dr. Michael Crupain with Consumer Reports.

The government advises young children, and women who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or might become pregnant, to avoid the four fish with the highest mercury levels: swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico. The FDA is also considering adding marlin and orange roughy to the list.

Consumer Reports' food-safety experts agree but have additional concerns about tuna. Tuna accounts for 40 percent of our mercury exposure. Most of that is from canned tuna.

Fresh tuna, popular in sushi, can also be especially high in mercury.

"To be safe, Consumer Reports recommends that pregnant women not eat any tuna at all. And children and anyone who eats a lot of fish should really limit how much tuna they eat," said Crupain.

So how can you eat seafood without exposing yourself to too much mercury? You have plenty of choices: canned or fresh wild and Alaska salmon, shrimp, sardines, tilapia, scallops, oysters and squid.

For the first time, the FDA has announced that women who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or trying to get pregnant should be eating a minimum of at least 8 ounces of fish a week.