The pregnancy fish! Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to consume between 8 and 12 ounces of a variety of seafood per week, from choices that are lower in mercury. The FDA suggests that any woman of child-bearing age, from age 16 to 49, to also avoid eating fish that has the highest mercury levels. The fish are raised without hormones, colorants, or antibiotics and have no detectable mercury, PCBs, or other contaminants, testing has shown. These guidelines state that no more than 12 oz of low mercury fish should be consumed weekly. Top 15 Low and High Mercury Fish: Safe for Kids and Pregnant Women. Nutrition experts often recommend seafood for kids and pregnant mothers since it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, and proteins. Source Unsafe. The FDA has released guidelines for children, women who are pregnant and women who are trying to become pregnant. The main concern with eating fish while pregnant is that you don’t consume too much mercury. Bass. Mercury is a contaminant found in fish that can affect brain development and the nervous system. Barramundi. Moderate levels of mercury have been detected in this fish. When pregnant, breastfeeding, or feeding children, it is especially important that you don’t eat too much mercury as it can effect the brain and nerve development of children. Source Unsafe. The American Pregnancy Association gives good guidelines for eating seafood low in mercury. Older predatory fish such as shark, barramundi, southern bluefin tuna, ray, gemfish, orange roughy, ling and swordfish can have high quantities of mercury. Avoid where possible but it should be fine in very limited quantities. A white-fleshed native Australian fish with a firm texture and mild, buttery flavor, barramundi is also known as the giant perch or nairfish. This is not recommended for pregnant women due to the levels of mercury found in the fish's system. If you come in contact with high levels of mercury during pregnancy, it can cause real problems for you and your baby. At the same time, seafood is a good source of high-quality protein and other nutrients, is low in fat, and can be an important part of a balanced diet for pregnant women. For its part, the FDA said it took a “cautious and highly protective approach” when updating its advice so that pregnant women can still eat fish while avoiding high mercury levels. Organizations that evaluate seafood sustainability list U.S. farm-raised barramundi as an eco-friendly choice because closed recirculating land-based tanks are used. Eight fish safe for pregnant women to eat, because they are low in mercury and PCBs, and high in Omega 3 fatty acids key to healthy pregnancies. High levels of mercury. Yes, it's true — some fish have high levels of mercury that, if eaten regularly, can harm an unborn child's developing brain. Mercury is a metal. "Highest" High levels of mercury. Mercury can damage many parts of your body, including your lungs, kidneys and nervous system (that includes the brain, spinal cord and nerves). People within these demographics should especially avoid the fish on the top level of this list with the highest amounts of mercury and limit their consumption of fish on the other levels.