Spiller Philip, Brenna J Thomas, Carlson Susan E, Golding Jean, Crawford Michael A, Hibbeln Joseph R, Koletzko Berthold V, Columbo John, Kris-Etherton Penny, Connor Sonja L, Carrington Clark, Bolger P Michael, Nettleton Joyce A, Harris William S, Jackson Kristina, McNamara Robert K, Morgan Kara M, Ralston Nicholas V C, Raymond Laura, Tlusty Michael F, Taylor Caroline M, Strain J J, McSorley Emeir M, Mulhern Maria S, Yeates Alison J, Conway Marie C, Adams Heather R, Watson Gene E, van Wijngaarden Edwin, Myers Gary J
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration (retired), College Park, MD 20740, USA.
Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin, 1400 Barbara Jordan Blvd, Austin, TX 78723, USA; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Neurotoxicology. 2025 Jul;109:27-31. doi: 10.1016/j.neuro.2025.05.007. Epub 2025 May 20.
A large and growing body of published research has found considerable evidence of improvements and little evidence of harm to children's neurodevelopment, including IQ, when pregnant women eat more fish, particularly ocean species. Fish is the primary dietary source for people of omega-3 fatty acids that are essential building blocks for brain structure and function. The human body cannot synthesize adequate amounts of these omega-3s for optimal brain development so they must be obtained preformed, mainly from fish. However, the evidence indicates that women often reduce or eliminate their fish consumption when they become pregnant out of fear that methylmercury will harm their children's neurodevelopment. This discrepancy between scientific findings and behavior appears to be caused or amplified by highly influential federal advice (fish advisories) that have been urging pregnant women to observe precautionary limitations on their consumption since 2001. Our concern is that these limitations are inadvertently encouraging pregnant women to avoid what could be substantial gains to their children's neurodevelopment on a population-wide basis. We discuss how a new fish advisory based on the latest scientific findings could benefit children's brain and cognitive development. We urge the academic/scientific community to develop and disseminate it and use it as a basis for education campaigns.
大量且不断增加的已发表研究发现，有相当多的证据表明，孕妇多吃鱼，尤其是海洋鱼类，对儿童的神经发育（包括智商）有改善作用，而危害证据极少。鱼类是人体获取omega-3脂肪酸的主要饮食来源，这些脂肪酸是大脑结构和功能的重要组成部分。人体无法合成足够数量的这些omega-3脂肪酸以实现最佳的大脑发育，因此必须从食物中获取，主要是从鱼类中获取。然而，有证据表明，女性怀孕后往往会减少或停止吃鱼，因为担心甲基汞会损害孩子的神经发育。科学研究结果与行为之间的这种差异似乎是由极具影响力的联邦建议（鱼类消费建议）导致或加剧的，自2001年以来，这些建议一直在敦促孕妇对鱼类消费采取预防性限制措施。我们担心的是，这些限制措施在不经意间鼓励孕妇放弃了在全人群范围内对孩子神经发育可能带来重大益处的食物。我们讨论了基于最新科学研究结果制定的新的鱼类消费建议如何能够有益于儿童的大脑和认知发育。我们敦促学术界/科学界制定并传播这一建议，并以此为基础开展教育活动。
