Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe

Seafood and children’s health: Report summarizes research

Alyson Sulaski Wyckoff, Associate Editor
May 20, 2019
  • AAP Technical Report

Many types of fish and seafood offer a variety of important nutrients. Yet more than 90% of the animal protein children eat comes from other sources.

Some fish and shellfish are rich sources of lean protein, calcium, vitamin D and omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. They also are the primary natural dietary source of essential nutrients docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid.

A new AAP technical report highlights research on the potential benefits and risks associated with consumption of fish and shellfish, reviewing the evidence for their impact on specific diseases or conditions. Also discussed are the sustainability of fish harvests and the presence of toxicants in some fish species.

The reportFish, Shellfish and Children’s Health: An Assessment of Benefits, Risks and Sustainability, from the AAP Council on Environmental Health and Committee on Nutrition, is available at https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-0999 and will be published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

Impact on diseases, conditions

Studies have analyzed the effects of childhood fish consumption and/or omega-3 intake for the prevention or treatment of various conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, neurologic/cognitive development, behavioral and mental health, sickle cell disease, lipid profiles, blood pressure, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and allergic disorders. Most of the sources cited address consumption by adults or pregnant women, and definitive conclusions about children were difficult in many cases.

More than a dozen observational studies have shown that a mother’s fish intake likely influences the risk of atopy in offspring. Studies also are cited showing that eating fish early in life — probably before 9 months of age — may prevent allergic diseases like asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis.

A child’s neurodevelopment also may benefit from maternal prenatal fish consumption. One study noted that seafood intake of less than 340 grams a week (¾ pound) during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of a child ending up in the lowest quartile for verbal IQ. Low seafood intake also was linked to worse outcomes for prosocial behavior, fine motor, communication and social development scores.

For some diseases, fish oil supplementation may benefit children with below-average omega-3 fatty acids. However, the supplements are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so their contents may not match what is listed on the label. Adverse events are not always reported either.

Sustainability, toxicants

With the growing exploitation of some of the world’s fisheries, consumers should be aware of sustainability issues to help protect the viability of fisheries (see resources).

Some species of fish contain methylmercury; resources are available to guide consumers on which fish to limit or avoid. In addition, fish and shellfish from freshwater areas in the U.S. can contain high amounts of pollutants; guidance is available on when and where toxicants may be present in lakes and rivers.

Despite concerns about toxicants, evidence-based guidance concludes that seafood, especially low mercury choices, should have a larger place in the American diet. More research is needed to substantiate seafood’s specific health benefits in children.

Resources
  • Mercury in Seafood: A Guide for Health Care Professionals
  • Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
  • Eating Fish: What Pregnant Women and Parents Should Know from the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency
  • Freshwater fish advisories
Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics

Advertising Disclaimer »

Download PDF
Email News Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Seafood and children’s health: Report summarizes research
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Seafood and children’s health: Report summarizes research
Alyson Sulaski Wyckoff
May 20, 2019
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
  • Digital Edition Current Issue
  • Latest Daily News
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • Columns
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe to AAP News Magazine
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 AAP Journals Catalog
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics in Review
  • Hospital Pediatrics
  • NeoReviews
  • AAP Grand Rounds
  • AAP Career Center
  • shopAAP
  • AAP.org
  • AAP News
  • Visit AAP News on Facebook
  • Follow AAP News on Twitter
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics