FDA: While Pregnant, Limit Fish

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
.c The Associated Press


WASHINGTON (AP) - Pregnant women and those who might become pregnant should
not eat four types of fish - shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish -
because they could contain enough mercury to hurt an unborn baby's developing
brain, the government warned Friday.

But the Food and Drug Administration rejected calls to also put tuna on the
do-not-eat list, saying the other four types of fish contain far more mercury
than tuna does.

Women who had swordfish for dinner last night shouldn't panic, stressed FDA
food chief Joseph Levitt. The risk comes from mercury building up, not a
single meal.

``It is not a one-dose problem. ... They should just simply stop eating it
from this time forward,'' Levitt said. ``We want to empower women to protect
the health of their unborn child and the best way they can do that here is to
avoid eating those four kinds of fish.''

Fish is widely considered part of a healthy diet; certain types contain high
levels of heart-healthy fats. But different types of fish can harbor
different amounts of mercury, an element found naturally in the environment
and also a pollutant.

Pregnant women can safely eat up to 12 ounces of any other cooked fish a week
- from canned tuna to shellfish to smaller ocean fish, the FDA said. Eat a
variety, not just one type. Don't eat more than 12 ounces of fish a week on a
regular basis and the amount of mercury absorbed won't be worrisome, the FDA
said.

When ingested in pregnancy, mercury can damage the central nervous system,
leaving babies with slower cognitive development. Critics say up to 60,000
children a year may be affected.

The FDA deems fish safe if they contain less than 1 part per million of
methylmercury, the form that builds up in fish. The larger the fish, the more
methylmercury, absorbed both from water and from eating smaller fish.

Consumer advocates have pushed the FDA to warn pregnant women about mercury
since the early 1990s.

``This is a significant potential health risk for the children of pregnant
women. But it's easy to avoid,'' said Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest. ``FDA has taken an important public health
step.''

But she was surprised the FDA left tuna steaks - those from large fish, not
the canned tuna made from little fish with far, far less mercury - off the
list, and urged the agency to reexamine that advice.

If women binge on canned tuna during pregnancy, that could be a problem, too,
contends Michael Bender of the Mercury Policy Project. Some states have urged
pregnant women to limit canned tuna consumption to 7 ounces a week.

The National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry trade group, questioned
if the mercury levels in swordfish and the other species was really high
enough to harm, saying it will review FDA records to see whether the warning
was justified.

FDA's Levitt refused to say how much mercury the agency has found in canned
tuna. But he said levels in shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are
three times higher than in fresh tuna. Even critics admit levels in tuna are
far, far lower.

But what level of mercury the FDA deems safe is under attack. A major
scientific report last summer said the agency should follow Environmental
Protection Agency safety standards that are four times stricter - a standard
that critics contend do make tuna a concern. The FDA is considering whether
to change its standard.

``While I am disappointed that the agency has not yet updated their
methylmercury action level, this consumer warning is a step in the right
direction,'' said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who had pushed for the warning.

While Friday's warning was aimed at pregnancy, the FDA says it is prudent for
nursing mothers and young children not to eat the four mercury-high fish
either.

The FDA's advise was for commercially caught fish. The Environmental
Protection Agency had added advice Friday for pregnant women who eat fish
their family and friends catch: Follow state warnings about fishing from
waters with high mercury levels. If your state doesn't issue such mercury
warnings, limit locally caught fish to one 6-ounce meal a week as a
precaution.

AP-NY-01-12-01 1819E