New fish advice for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers

WASHINGTON D.C. (WPVI) -- The Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have jointly released new advice about how much and which fish are safe to eat.

It's geared to women who are pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant, breastfeeding mothers and young kids.

The advice covers both fish and shellfish.

See the new guidelines here.

According to the new guidelines, nearly 90 percent of fish eaten in the U.S. fall into "best choices" category.

It breaks fish down into three categories based on the level of mercury:

* "Best choices" (eat 2-3 servings a week)

* "Good choices" (eat one serving a week)

* "Fish to avoid"

The agencies say right now, women are eating fewer than 2 servings a week of fish.

The advice for women of child-bearing age is 2 to 3 servings of the best choices per week, or one from the good choices.

For kids, it's 1 to 2 servings per week, starting at age 2.

All fish contain traces of mercury, which can be harmful.

But nutrients in fish are also important for growth and development during pregnancy and into childhood.

To help these consumers more easily understand the types of fish to select, the agencies have created an easy-to-use reference chart that sorts 62 types of fish into the key categories.

For more information, CLICK HERE.