Eating fish in pregnancy could boost child's IQ

Women who eat seafood while pregnant may be boosting their children's IQ in the process, researchers say.

The study, led by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the United States National Institutes of Health, tracked the eating habits of 11,875 pregnant women in Bristol, Britain.

It was revealed that women who ate more than 340 grams per week of fish or seafood - the equivalent of two or three servings - had smarter children with better developmental skills.

Children whose mothers ate no seafood were 48 percent more likely to have a lower verbal IQ score, compared to children whose mothers ate high amounts of seafood.

The results of the study were surprising and contradict American and British recommendations that pregnant women should limit seafood and fish consumption to avoid potentially high levels of mercury.

While experts believe further research is necessary to confirm these conclusions, the study's failure to find evidence of increased harm from eating fish is significant.

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