Should you eat sushi while breastfeeding?

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Some guidelines recommend avoiding sushi during pregnancy, but sushi lovers will be pleased to know that they can enjoy it again after the birth of their baby. While sushi is appropriate to eat while breastfeeding, women should avoid certain types of fish that are high in mercury.

1. Is it safe to eat sushi while breastfeeding?

Eating sushi while breastfeeding can be safe for both mother and baby, as long as women eat at reputable restaurants, using high-quality fish from origin in accordance with regulations on food safety and hygiene. Products . If the origin of the fish is unknown, it is best to ask the restaurant staff for more information.
However, pregnant women need to avoid raw fish, because bacteria and parasites can be dangerous to the fetus itself.
Women who are breastfeeding should avoid eating any fish that contain high levels of mercury, regardless of whether it is raw or cooked. Because some mercury can be passed to the baby through breast milk. Currently, certain types of fish have been identified as containing a lot of mercury such as bigeye tuna, king mackerel, shark, swordfish, and yellowtail.
Although the amount of mercury that reaches breast milk will be very small, infants are susceptible to toxicity. Because mercury can affect the brain and nervous system of developing children.

2. Cooked fish diet for nursing mothers

Cooked fish has many health benefits for lactating women and nursing babies. In particular, cold water fish is rich in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also high in protein and low in saturated fat. The health benefits of fish for babies are mainly due to its omega-3 content which promotes good vision and cognitive development.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends eating 2-3 servings of this fish per week. An adult-sized serving of fish is about 113 grams of fish.
Women who eat a lot of canned fish should monitor the sodium content of these foods to ensure that the sodium content remains below the recommended limit. Even some fish that are safe to eat, such as anchovies, can be high in sodium when canned.

3. Listeria and cross infection

Can nursing mothers eat sushi? To answer this question, it's important to first consider that one of the main risks of eating raw sushi is an increased chance of foodborne illness, such as listeriosis. Listeriosis is caused by infection with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.
Symptoms of listeria infection include: diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting. Pregnant women with listeriosis can pass the infection to their developing baby across the placenta, which can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, or premature birth.
Listeria is of less concern to nursing women, as it is not passed through breast milk to the baby.
Cross-contamination is another risk associated with eating sushi. Cross-contamination occurs when people working in restaurant kitchens share utensils for preparing cooked and undercooked fish. People who order cooked fish can get sick from bacteria and pathogens that have transferred into their meals from the raw fish.
Some safety tips to help make safe food decisions to avoid bacterial infection during pregnancy:
Practice proper safe handling techniques. Clean surfaces thoroughly with an appropriate bactericidal solvent when transferring from cooked to raw food. Wash your hands thoroughly with an antiseptic solution. Note the date and time for cold, perishable items. This can help ensure they are consumed as soon as possible. Always clean the refrigerator and clean it regularly. Don't forget about the shelves for raw meat. Areas like doorknobs also harbor bacteria. Consider using a refrigerator thermometer. Make sure that the refrigerator is always at a temperature of 4.4°C or less. To check this temperature, it is necessary to equip a refrigerator thermometer.

4. Some alternatives to fish sushi

For women who love sushi, especially salmon sushi, but don't want to eat raw fish while breastfeeding, vegetarian sushi options can be just as delicious as eating real fish sushi. .

For example, women can choose vegetable maki rolls that contain avocado, cucumber, and pickled radish and top them with wasabi and soy sauce.
Other vegetarian options include vegetable nigiri and inari. It's worth noting that these vegetarian options do not contain certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D, but these nutrients are available from other sources.
To avoid food-related illness, pregnant and lactating women can reduce their risk when eating sushi or other foods by doing the following:
Eat at reputable restaurants. Ask restaurant staff where they get their fish and how they handle the food. Practice safe food handling techniques when preparing food at home by using different utensils and surfaces for raw and cooked foods. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw fish or meat. Avoid foods with past expiration dates. Keep the refrigerator at the right temperature and clean it regularly to prevent bacteria growth. Pregnant women who do not eat sushi can eat small sticky rice balls and vegetables without fish. After giving birth, women no longer have to avoid eating sushi because it is safe to breastfeed. Eating fish, whether raw or cooked, may offer some benefits for both nursing women and breastfed babies. In particular, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D are essential for infant development.
Lactating women should eat at least 226 grams of fish per week. However, it's important to avoid eating fish high in mercury, as this heavy metal can pass through breast milk and harm an unborn baby. When eating sushi at a restaurant, you should ask about the source of the fish and the restaurant's safe handling policy to reduce the risk of cross-contamination or listeria infection.
Diet during pregnancy and lactation plays a very important role, as it directly affects the development of the baby and the mother's health. Therefore, we should consider and make appropriate choices about nutrition during this time.

In order to help mothers have a healthy pregnancy, Vinmec International Hospital now offers a full maternity care program for mothers right from the first months of pregnancy. This service will help monitor the health of mother and baby periodically as well as conduct a full range of routine tests to ensure the comprehensive development of the fetus.

The consultation and examination during pregnancy will be carried out by experienced and specialized obstetricians, helping mothers have more knowledge to protect their health during pregnancy in the best way.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: healthline.com