Fish During Pregnancy Reduces Preterm Birth Risk

Fish During Pregnancy Reduces Preterm Birth Risk
By Denise Reynolds

A new study, published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, finds that among pregnant women at high risk of preterm birth, eating fish a few times a week appears to reduce the risk of delivering early. Researchers at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital compared the diets of 852 pregnant women who were at higher than average risk of preterm delivery. Those who ate two or three servings of fish per week were about 40 percent less likely to deliver early than women who ate fish less than monthly. The reason for the association is not clear, but it is suspected that nutrients in the fish may help lower the odds for early delivery. Even with these findings, the researchers still stress that pregnant women should avoid fish that are high in mercury, such as swordfish and king mackerel.