Can Pregnant Women Eat Shrimp? Safety, Benefits, and FDA Guidelines
May 14, 2023Can Pregnant Women Eat Shrimp? Safety, Benefits, and FDA Guidelines
Yes — pregnant women can safely eat shrimp. Shrimp is one of the lowest-mercury seafoods available and is specifically listed by the FDA and EPA as a "Best Choice" for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children. The current FDA/EPA guidance recommends eating 8–12 oz (2–3 servings) of low-mercury seafood per week during pregnancy — and shrimp is one of the best choices to meet that recommendation.
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FDA Guidelines for Seafood During Pregnancy
The FDA and EPA jointly publish advice on seafood consumption during pregnancy. The current guidance (updated 2024) divides seafood into three categories:
- Best Choices (eat 2–3 servings per week): Shrimp, salmon, pollock, tilapia, catfish, canned light tuna, and other low-mercury seafood. Shrimp is explicitly listed in this category.
- Good Choices (eat 1 serving per week): Mahi mahi, halibut, yellowfin tuna, Chilean sea bass, and other moderate-mercury seafood.
- Choices to Avoid: King mackerel, shark, swordfish, tilefish (Gulf of Mexico), and bigeye tuna — high-mercury species that pregnant women should not eat.
Shrimp's mercury level is approximately 0.009 ppm — one of the lowest of any seafood. For comparison, swordfish (which pregnant women should avoid) averages ~0.995 ppm. Shrimp is more than 100 times lower in mercury than the high-mercury species on the avoid list.
Nutritional Benefits of Shrimp During Pregnancy
Shrimp is an excellent nutritional choice during pregnancy. Per 3-oz (85g) serving of cooked shrimp:
- Calories: ~84
- Protein: ~18g — essential for fetal tissue growth and development
- Fat: ~0.9g (very lean)
- Omega-3 (EPA+DHA): ~300mg — critical for fetal brain and eye development
- Iodine: ~35mcg (~23% DV) — essential for fetal thyroid development and brain development; iodine deficiency during pregnancy is a leading cause of preventable intellectual disability worldwide
- Selenium: ~40mcg (~73% DV) — antioxidant; supports thyroid function
- Vitamin B12: ~1.3mcg (~54% DV) — essential for neural tube development and red blood cell formation
- Zinc: ~1.3mg (~12% DV) — supports immune function and cell division
- Choline: ~69mg (~13% DV) — critical for fetal brain development; most pregnant women do not get enough choline
The omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in shrimp are particularly important during pregnancy — DHA is a structural component of the fetal brain and retina, and adequate DHA intake during pregnancy is associated with better cognitive and visual development outcomes in children. The FDA's recommendation to eat 2–3 servings of low-mercury seafood per week during pregnancy is specifically designed to ensure adequate omega-3 intake for fetal development.
How to Safely Eat Shrimp During Pregnancy
Always Cook Shrimp Thoroughly
The most important safety rule: always eat fully cooked shrimp during pregnancy. Raw or undercooked shrimp can harbor harmful bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio, Salmonella) and viruses that pose serious risks during pregnancy. Pregnant women are approximately 10 times more likely than the general population to contract listeriosis, which can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and serious illness in the newborn.
Cook shrimp to an internal temperature of 145°F — the flesh should be opaque and pink throughout, with no translucent or gray areas. Shrimp cooks very quickly (2–3 minutes per side in a pan; 3–4 minutes boiled) — do not undercook.
Avoid Raw Shrimp Preparations
Avoid during pregnancy: raw shrimp sushi or sashimi; shrimp ceviche (the acid in ceviche does not kill bacteria or viruses — it only denatures proteins); shrimp cocktail that has not been fully cooked; and any preparation where the shrimp may be undercooked. If you are at a restaurant, confirm that shrimp dishes are fully cooked.
Choose Quality Sources
Buy shrimp from reputable sources — wild-caught shrimp from well-managed fisheries is the best choice. Wild-caught shrimp and spot prawns from Global Seafoods are sourced from sustainable fisheries and delivered fresh. Avoid shrimp from unknown sources or with a strong ammonia-like odor.
Recommended Weekly Amount
The FDA recommends 8–12 oz (2–3 servings) of low-mercury seafood per week during pregnancy — not just as a maximum, but as a target. Many pregnant women eat less seafood than recommended, missing out on the significant nutritional benefits. Shrimp counts toward this weekly recommendation and is one of the best choices to meet it.
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FAQs: Shrimp During Pregnancy
Q1: Is it safe to eat shrimp sushi during pregnancy?
No — raw or undercooked shrimp is not safe during pregnancy. Raw shrimp can harbor harmful bacteria (Listeria, Vibrio, Salmonella) and viruses that pose serious risks during pregnancy. Pregnant women are approximately 10 times more likely than the general population to contract listeriosis. Always eat fully cooked shrimp during pregnancy. Cooked shrimp sushi (ebi — the pink, cooked shrimp used in most sushi restaurants) is safe; raw shrimp sushi is not.
Q2: How much shrimp can I eat during pregnancy?
The FDA recommends 8–12 oz (2–3 servings) of low-mercury seafood per week during pregnancy — and shrimp is one of the recommended "Best Choice" species. This is a target, not just a maximum — the FDA specifically encourages pregnant women to eat more seafood (up to 12 oz per week of low-mercury choices) because many pregnant women eat less seafood than recommended and miss out on the significant nutritional benefits for fetal development. Shrimp's mercury level (~0.009 ppm) is one of the lowest of any seafood.
Q3: Can eating shrimp during pregnancy cause birth defects?
No — eating properly cooked shrimp during pregnancy does not cause birth defects. Shrimp is one of the lowest-mercury seafoods available (~0.009 ppm), and mercury at these levels poses no risk to fetal development. In fact, the omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, choline, and vitamin B12 in shrimp actively support healthy fetal brain and neural development. The risk would come from eating raw or undercooked shrimp (bacterial contamination) or from eating high-mercury seafood (swordfish, shark, king mackerel) — not from properly cooked shrimp.
Q4: What other seafood is safe during pregnancy?
The FDA's "Best Choice" seafood for pregnancy (eat 2–3 servings per week) includes: shrimp, salmon, pollock, tilapia, catfish, canned light tuna, cod, herring, oysters (cooked), sardines, scallops, and trout. Seafood to avoid during pregnancy: king mackerel, shark, swordfish, tilefish (Gulf of Mexico), and bigeye tuna — all high in mercury. For the full current FDA/EPA guidance, visit the FDA's website or consult your healthcare provider.