Fish Consumption During Pregnancy: This May Increase Obesity Risk For Baby

Fish seem to be in the news a lot recently--particularly regarding consumption during pregnancy and how it might affect your baby.

Now, new findings published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics say that mothers-to-be who eat a lot of fish could increase their child's risk of obesity.

While the study was not designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship, findings showed that pregnant women who ate fish three times a week during pregnancy were more likely to have a child who grew rapidly from birth to two years of age, according to Health Day. Furthermore, these children were also more likely to be overweight or obese at 4 to 6 years of age, researchers found.

"Our findings indicate that women should adhere to current fish consumption guidelines," said lead study author lead study author Dr. Leda Chatzi of the University of Crete in Greece, via FOX News.
"In general, women should eat a variety of types of fish each week and avoid consumption of large predatory fish such as king mackerel, swordfish, shark and tilefish."

Researchers tracked data of more than 26,000 pregnant women and their children in the United States, following the weight of the children until they reached the age of 6.

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