Can pregnant women eat tuna fish?

In 2004, the FDA urged women and young children to eat no more than 12 ounces of a variety of fish and shellfish with lower levels of mercury (including canned light tuna) or 6 ounces of white tuna (albacore) per week to minimize mercury risks. Canned light tuna on average contains lower mercury levels, the agency said. read more

FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish. This advice is geared toward helping women who are pregnant or may become pregnant - as well as breastfeeding mothers and parents of young children - make informed choices when it comes to fish that is healthy and safe to eat. read more

We think pregnant women should avoid canned tuna. The problem is that different cans have different levels of mercury--some have up to seven times as much as the average can. If there weren't such a variance, we could come up with an acceptable intake during pregnancy--such as 12 ounces of chunk-light per week, as some experts recommend. read more