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Report Indicates That Pregnant Women May Need to Limit Intake of Fish and SeafoodNational Center for Education in Maternal and Child HealthJuly 28, 2000 Children of women who consume large amounts of fish and seafood during pregnancy may be at special risk for neurological problems, according to a press release on a National Academies' National Research Council report. The report responds to a congressional request concerning appropriate exposure limits for methylmercury. It concludes that the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) mercury guideline is justifiable, but it states that pregnant women's consumption of fish and seafood may adversely affect their fetuses. Noting that fish and seafood are the main source of methylmercury in the human diet, the press release states that fetuses are particularly vulnerable to its effects because of their rapid brain development. The release explains that mercury exists naturally in the environment and finds its way into the air through both natural processes and human activities, but that power plants that burn fossil fuels generate the most mercury emissions. When mercury is deposited into water, fish accumulate it, and it is then ingested by humans who consume the fish. The Washington Post notes that "long-lived fish that feed on other fish--a group that includes swordfish, shark, tuna and king mackerel--accumulate the highest levels and pose the greatest risk to humans who eat them." According to the Post, the EPA estimates that 7% of US women exceed the EPA recommended limit for methylmercury exposure (0.1 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day), and that, by that estimate, 60,000 babies born each year are at risk for toxic exposure. The chair of the committee that wrote the National Academies' National Research Council report states that "trends in methylmercury exposure, including regional differences, should be analyzed, as should subpopulations whose diets are high in fish and seafood. And we need to better understand how this chemical affects brain development in fetuses and children." The National Academies. 2000, July. EPA's methylmercury guideline is scientifically justifiable for protecting most Americans, but some may be at risk. Press release available at www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309071402?OpenDocument. The full report is available at www.nap.edu/books/0309071402/html. Thompson D, Squires S. 2000, July 25. Intake. The Washington Post Online, p. Z06. To subscribe to the MCH Alert,
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