Pregnant women often have to pay extra attention to their diets. Consumer Reports cautions that, when it comes to getting the lean protein found in seafood, not all fish are created equal. The consumer protection group explains that some species have a higher mercury content than others. So, while fish contain nutrients that are important for the brain development of the baby, the mercury content could end up damaging pregnant women and their children.

The article by Consumer Reports is in direct contrast to recent federal guidelines by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These guidelines encourage pregnant women, those who may become pregnant, breastfeeding mothers, and young children to eat more fish and choose from a variety of fish sources that may be lower in mercury.

The fish the federal guidelines identify as low in mercury include salmon, shrimp, pollock, tuna (light canned), tilapia, catfish, and cod. However, the New York Daily News says the inclusion of canned tuna may be misleading. Given the presence of mercury in all seafood and the fact that tuna is so common, there is a higher risk for mercury content in tuna.

Consumer Reports has suggested that tuna should be avoided all together. However, they emphasize that fish not be avoided completely. Some pregnant mothers choose to forego seafood completely, but this may not be ideal either. In addition to nutrients that can be found in supplements, there are other nutritional benefits that mothers and children may not want to miss out on.