Fish Contributes to a Healthy Pregnancy
Pregnant women are advised by Health Canada to eat at least 150 grams ( 5 oz) of cooked fish each week.  Fish contains omega-3 fats which help your baby’s brain, eyes and nervous system develop.  The protein in fish will help your baby grow as well. 


Recommended Safe Fish for Pregnant Women
Salmon
Anchovy
Arctic Char
Trout
Herring
Haddock
Smelt
Canned light tuna
Pollock (Boston bluefish)
Sole
Flounder
Hake
Mullet
Atlantic mackerel
Tilapia

Canned Tuna
Choose canned light tuna such as skipjack or yellowfin tuna.  Avoid or limit the amount of canned white (albacore) tuna while you are pregnant.

Fish that should be Eaten Less Often

Most fish sold in stores in Canada are safe for pregnant women to eat but some fish contain higher levels of mercury and should be avoided.  Too much mercury may be harmful to your baby’s developing brain.  Some fish caught in Ontario lakes have mercury or other contaminants that can be harmful for pregnant women and their babies.  To learn which fish are safe to eat, you can check the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish available online at www.ontario.ca/fishguide or through the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.  To avoid bacteria and parasites that could lead to illness or infection in your baby, you should not eat raw fish when you are pregnant.

Fish to avoid or limit during pregnancy
Fresh or frozen tuna
Shark
Swordfish
Marlin
Orange roughy
Escolar
Raw fish such as sushi or oysters

More information:
For more information on eating fish during pregnancy, go to www.healthcanada.gc.ca/nutrition and check out the Prenatal Nutrition Update. 

Other sources of information on general prenatal nutrition are:
www.beststart.org/resources/nutrition

EatRight  Ontario:  www.ontario.ca/eatright    (phone 1-877-510-5102 to talk to a dietitian).

PCBs and Fish Consumption