Can You Eat Seafood While Pregnant?

Is seafood safe during pregnancy?

Yes, properly cooked low-mercury seafood is not only safe but recommended during pregnancy. The FDA and EPA jointly recommend pregnant women eat 8-12 ounces (2-3 servings) of low-mercury seafood per week. The omega-3 fatty acids in seafood (particularly DHA) are critical for fetal brain and eye development, and pregnant women in countries with high seafood consumption tend to have better outcomes for cognitive development. The risks come from specific high-mercury fish, raw preparations, and undercooked seafood, all of which can be avoided with informed choices. Avoiding seafood entirely actually deprives the fetus of important nutrients (especially omega-3s essential for brain and eye development) and isn't recommended by major medical organizations including ACOG and the FDA.

What seafood should you avoid during pregnancy?

The FDA lists 'choices to avoid' due to high mercury content: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, and bigeye tuna. These fish accumulate higher mercury due to their size, age, and position high in the food chain. Mercury can affect fetal nervous system development, with cumulative exposure being the concern rather than single servings. Beyond mercury, avoid all raw seafood during pregnancy: sushi (with raw fish), sashimi, ceviche, raw oysters and other shellfish, smoked seafood that isn't thoroughly cooked, and refrigerated smoked fish. These can carry Listeria, parasites, or bacteria. Also avoid seafood from unfamiliar sources or restaurants with poor food safety reputations. When in doubt, ask if the seafood is fully cooked.

What are the best seafood choices during pregnancy?

The FDA's 'best choices' (low mercury, can eat 2-3 times per week): anchovies, catfish, cod, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, herring, lobster (American/spiny), mullet, oyster (cooked), Pacific chub mackerel, perch, pollock, salmon, sardine, scallop, shad, shrimp, skate, smelt, sole, squid (calamari), tilapia, trout (freshwater), tuna (canned light), whitefish, and whiting. The 'good choices' (low-medium mercury, can eat once per week): bluefish, buffalofish, carp, Chilean sea bass, grouper, halibut, mahi mahi, monkfish, rockfish, sablefish, sheepshead, snapper, Spanish mackerel, striped bass, tilefish (Atlantic Ocean), tuna albacore/yellowfin/canned white, and weakfish. Salmon is particularly recommended for high omega-3 content; wild-caught is generally preferred over farmed when possible.

How should you prepare seafood safely during pregnancy?

Cook all seafood to safe internal temperatures: fish to 145°F (flesh should be opaque and flake easily with a fork); shellfish until shells open during cooking (discard any that don't open); shrimp and lobster until pink and opaque. Use a food thermometer for accuracy with thicker cuts. Avoid cross-contamination by washing hands, utensils, and surfaces after handling raw seafood. Store fresh seafood at 40°F or below and use within 1-2 days, or freeze. Thaw frozen seafood in the refrigerator overnight. When eating out, ask about preparation; sushi rolls with fully cooked ingredients (California rolls with cooked imitation crab, tempura rolls) are usually safe. Cooked seafood from reputable restaurants is generally fine; question raw bars and ceviche preparations.