Research Points to Value of Seafood for Pregnant Women and Their Children

SAN DIEGO – Feb. 21, 2007 – Should pregnant women eat fish?  Absolutely, according to a new study by The Lancet, which found that “intelligence quotients” were higher for children with mothers who ate fish during pregnancy.   This should end the confusion regarding the safety of fish consumption.  

The Lancet studied 11,875 children and conclusively determined their “intelligence quotients” were higher if their mothers ate fish during pregnancy.  The study also concluded these children had better “fine motor, communication, and social development scores.”

“The Lancet stresses the important health benefits of fish,” said John Signorino, CEO of Chicken of Sea International, “and canned tuna is an affordable and easy way for all people to incorporate seafood into their diets.”

Other research consistently points to the health benefits of seafood. The Journal of the American Medical Association states eating fish cuts the risk of death from coronary disease – the single largest killer of Americans, according to the American Heart Association – by 36 percent.   

The American Heart Association says consumers should “eat at least two servings of fish each week,” and the American Diabetes Association has noted as many as 20 million Americans have diabetes, and foods high in protein and high in omega-3 are important to counter the ailment’s effects.

“The reality is that canned seafood is an affordable, low-calorie, high-protein food, filled with omega-3 and many people are missing out on the important health benefits canned seafood provides,” said Signorino.

 Heart disease and obesity are highest in lower income families, according to a 2003 Duke University study that examined the relationship between poverty and heart disease, and a 2002 study by the International Journal on Obesity that examined the relationship between and a variety of factors, including gender, race and socioeconomic condition.

Anne Forristall Luke, president of the U.S. Tuna Foundation, said, “Unfortunately, many people not taking advantage of the multiple health benefits of canned seafood are those who need these affordable, nutritious foods the most.”

The Lancet study, released Feb. 15, found that higher maternal seafood consumption (more than 12 ounces) during pregnancy results in children showing better neurological function, including higher IQs, than children whose mothers eat low amounts or no seafood during pregnancy.   In addition, children of women who ate no or small amounts of fish (less than 12 ounces) during pregnancy had more behavioral and social problems than children whose mothers ate plenty (more than 12 ounces) of fish.  The positive results are associated with omega-3 fatty acids in fish and canned tuna.

"Mothers with maternal seafood consumption over 340 grams per week in pregnancy recorded beneficial effects on their children,” wrote lead author Joseph Hibbeln from the U.S. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

These results show that risks from the loss of nutrients were greater than the risks of harm from exposure to trace contaminants in 340 grams seafood eaten weekly, " he wrote.  

Dr. Gary Myers and Dr. Philip Davidson — who were not connected to the study — of the University of Rochester wrote in an accompanying commentary, “These results highlight the importance of including fish in the maternal diet and lend support to the popular opinion that fish is brain food.”

For more information on the study, its methodology and its findings, visit www.thelancet.com.

The Lancet is an independent journal, without affiliation to a medical or scientific organization.

A seafood category leader, Chicken of the Sea provides a variety of shelf-stable seafood products, including tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, mackerel and sardines.  The Chicken of the Sea brand and famous Mermaid icon are among the most recognized brands in America.