Studies have found that women with higher mercury levels during pregnancy have children with poorer scores on tests that measure their brain development. It might be easy to assume, then, that pregnant women should avoid fish because it can be a source of mercury. But it’s important to look at research findings in context—how does this finding fit in with what we already know about fish and pregnancy?
Emily Oken, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, knows that fish is also very beneficial to a developing fetus. She warns that it’s important to look at research findings in the bigger picture. For example, consuming fish while pregnant also offers nutrients that are important to a developing fetus.
Dr. Oken talks with us about how the importance of communicating about research findings in the context of what other studies have also shown.
Watch this video to understand:
• Why crafting recommendations based on research becomes an important part of communicating a study’s results.
• Why fish consumption is a complex issue for pregnant women.
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