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Study links mercury to premature birth
Filed under: Health & Safety: Babies, Media
For so many years, the media has been teaching us that fish is good for us: rich in essential fatty acids, high in protein, low in fat. But lately, the news about fish has not been so good. It's being linked more and more with mercury, and studies are emerging linking mercury with premature birth.A recent Korean study showed that women with high levels of mercury in their cord blood are three to five times more likely to deliver premature babies, defined as less than 37 weeks gestation.
The study disclosed two main reasons for the mercury concentration - dental treatment with amalgam and fish consumption.
Women who hadn't eaten fish during pregnancy had 4.6 micrograms of mercury per 1 liter of blood, while the mercury level of women who had fish more than four times a week had a mercury level of 8.3 micrograms.
Researchers advised pregnant women to avoid fish, and suggested that pregnant women avoid dental treatment with amalgam.
Thanks to tipster Joel A for the tip!
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
10-31-2006 @ 10:44AM
Ethel said...Except time and again there has never been a link with dental amalgam and mercury levels in a person. My first pregnancy I researched this over and over using Entrez PubMed as I had a cavity that needed to be fixed with amalgam (it was in a molar and resin doesn't cut it with biting surfaces). With what I read I was satisfied that I was not putting my child at risk - and indeed he was born at 41 weeks.
On the other hand it has been shown over and over that poor dental health is very much linked to premature birth ("Fetal immune response to oral pathogens and risk of preterm birth" Am J Obstet Gynecol.2005 Sep;193(3 Pt 2):1121-6.). And it maybe the link is not to amalgam fillings placed during pregnancy but the reason that they need to be put in place: caries. ("Prioritizing oral health in pregnancy." Kans Nurse. 2004 Nov-Dec;79(10):4-6).
So, in my mind this article needs to be taken with a grain of salt. AND: Please take care of your teeth.
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10-31-2006 @ 12:58PM
Jennifer Susse said...This is an irresponsible post. All the *recent* news is about how important it is for women to consume fish while pregnant. Of course, pregant women should avoid certain types of fish (e.g., tuna steaks) but unless they are using omega 3 supplements they should certainly never choose not to eat fish.
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5407595
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6043490.stm
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11-01-2006 @ 9:53AM
Melanie said...While it is true that pregnant women should avoid some fish, avoiding all of them is probably unnecessary. The FDA has actually issued advisories for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children to avoid shark, king mackerel, tilefish and swordfish, and to limit their consumption of albacore tuna to 6 oz. a week. There is a non-profit, Oceana, who is working with grocery stores across the country to have the FDA advice posted at seafood counters. It’s a unique and very common sense approach: put the information where we make our seafood decisions. Their website, www.oceana.org/mercury, has much more information about their campaign and the issue!
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