An inter-governmental nutrition meeting concluded that seafood consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding provides essential nutrients that act as building blocks for brain and eye development.
The International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), an inter-governmental nutrition meeting between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) held in Rome this week, is focusing on strategies to improve global nutrition.
“A focus on maternal and early childhood nutrition is in step with the latest recommendations we’re seeing across global health organizations,” said Rima Kleiner, MS, RD, a Registered Dietitian for the U.S.-based National Fisheries Institute (NFI). “Pregnant women, especially in the U.S., aren’t eating nearly enough to realize the benefits.”
“The science is clear,” said John Connelly, president of NFI. “Seafood during pregnancy and breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your baby from a nutrition standpoint, and communicating that to these populations is essential.”
However, policymakers like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) need to ensure their message doesn’t focus on expensive, exotic and unavailable varieties of seafood, Connelly said. “More and more we see world nutrition bodies delivering realistic, understandable messaging that benefits populations that might have limited food options. It is important that FDA follow this model.”
The ICN2 conference occurred one month after the Committee on World Food Security made a key recommendation in its report, encouraging the consumption of fish especially by pregnant and breastfeeding women. In June, the FDA released a draft update of its own advice to pregnant women on eating seafood.
