Some Fish Oil for Pregnant Women Endangers the Fetus

The assumption that has circulated so far is that consuming fish oil for pregnant women brings positive benefits, including to help the baby's brain and eye development. However, in fact this claim still needs further investigation. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which are important for supporting the body's metabolism. Fish oil for pregnant women is recommended because it is claimed to be better than consuming high-risk fish meat containing mercury. Mercury is stored in fish meat or protein, not in the part of fat where fish oil comes from. Fish oil supplements for pregnant women can be recommended as long as the reasons are clear. For example, the mother's body still lacks omega-3 even though it has consumed a variety of food sources of these nutrients. One of the suspicions that the mother may still lack omega-3 is if the mother does not eat fish at least once a week. Even so, until now there has been no official recommendation that pregnant women should take fish oil supplements.

Pay attention before consuming

Fish oil generally contains omega-3 fatty acids which can be useful to help the baby's brain and eye development. EPA and DHA contained in omega-3 fish oil are suspected to have a role in infant brain development, reduce the risk of asthma in infants, potentially prevent preterm labor, and reduce the risk of preeclampsia. In addition, consumption of fish oil in nursing mothers is thought to increase maternal energy. Fish oil supplements for pregnant women are generally in the form of gel, liquid, and chewable tablets. Even so, you need to pay close attention to the products you buy because there are two types of fish oil. The following explanation:

• Omega-3 supplements made from fish bodies are relatively safe for pregnant women to consume.
• Supplements made from fish liver, such as cod liver oil, are not safe for consumption by pregnant women. Cod oil generally contains high levels of retinol, another form of vitamin A, which can harm the fetus.

Pregnant women are advised not to consume fish oil and any supplements that contain vitamin A. We recommend that pregnant women avoid consuming liver and products made from the liver. These foods contain lots of vitamin A. When pregnant women consume too much vitamin A, there can be an increased risk of birth defects in babies. In addition, you also have to check the levels of DHA and EPA in it. Taking fish oil supplements containing DHA and EPA of 450 mg a day is equivalent to consuming 1-2 servings of fish for a week. DHA doses that are too high are also at risk of causing bleeding. Therefore, it helps you consult fish oil supplements first to the obstetrician before consumption.

Options Besides Fish Oil

To date there are no official recommendations that pregnant women should take fish oil supplements. To get the benefits of omega-3s, it's better to consume fish directly than taking fish oil supplements. Fish meat is a good source of nutrition to support the health of the fetus and pregnant women. Salmon, sardines, freshwater fish, cod, herring, clams, crabs, and shrimp can be an option for pregnant women to consume. But this is not the case with canned tuna whose oil has been lost during processing. Eating fish directly makes pregnant women also get protein, vitamins, and minerals that are not obtained from the consumption of fish oil supplements for pregnant women. The study found that pregnant women who ate more fish had a lower risk of giving birth to babies with low birth weight, experiencing preterm labor, or pre-eclampsia. However, do not overeat fish meat. Two servings of fish a week is the recommended amount for pregnant women. This is because sea fish can store deposits of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which can also accumulate in the human body for a long time and can have an impact on the fetus. Besides fish, now many other foods, such as eggs, juice, yogurt, cereals, milk, and margarine, are also fortified with omega-3s. There are also omega-3 supplements made from seaweed so that they do not contain high levels of vitamin A, which are harmful to the fetus, and do not contain mercury. This fish oil supplement for pregnant women can also be consumed by people who are vegetarians.