October 8, 2012

expert reaction to fish, mercury and risk of ADHD symptoms

A study* of children in the USA suggested that exposure to mercury for babies in the womb may be associated with a greater risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but that fish consumption during pregnancy may be associated with a lower risk of ADHD.

Jean Golding, Professor of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, University of Bristol, said:

“This is an important paper that should be considered carefully. For me the most important take home message is that a mother eating more than 2 helpings of fish a week appears to reduce the risk of hyperactivity in her child by a considerable amount. The other message is that high levels of mercury in the mother have some adverse consequences for the child’s behaviour – but this must imply that it is not the mercury from seafood that is the culprit. This is a complex field, but important to untangle.

“Meanwhile the take home message for pregnant mothers is that eating fish is good for the future behaviour of her child.”

A Food Standards Agency spokesperson, said:

“We’re aware of the paper which needs to be considered alongside the existing literature on this issue. The European Food Safety Authority is currently reviewing the risks to health from mercury and methylmercury and is expected to publish its preliminary opinion later this year. The FSA’s advice remains that risks from mercury in fish are mainly an issue for pregnant women and women who intend to become pregnant. This is because of the possible risks to the developing nervous system of the unborn child. Our advice is that pregnant women and women intending to become pregnant shouldn’t eat more than four medium-sized cans or two fresh tuna steaks per week. They should also avoid shark, marlin and swordfish.”

* ‘Prenatal Exposure to Mercury and Fish Consumption During Pregnancy and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder–Related Behavior in Children’ by Sagiv et al. was published in Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.