Is It Safe To Eat Prawns During Pregnancy?

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When you are expecting, you need to be extra careful about your nutrition because everything you eat will affect the growing fetus. Therefore, many women wonder whether it is safe to eat prawns during pregnancy.

Seafood is generally considered unsafe for consumption during pregnancy because of the toxins they contain due to the rise in water pollution (1). Moreover, eating prawns when pregnant may also increase your risk of contracting food-borne infectionsⁱA disease developing after consuming contaminated food and water typically indicated by nausea and vomiting .

However, if you have consulted your doctor and want to eat a small quality of prawns, be sure to follow some important tips to ensure they are safe for your consumption.

Read this post to learn more about whether it is safe to eat prawns during pregnancy and some tips to follow if you want to occasionally include them in your diet.

Is It Safe To Eat Prawns During Pregnancy?

You may be tempted to relish those butter garlic prawns, but wait… are there any dietary restrictions for prawns during pregnancy?

Almost all forms of seafood are best avoided during pregnancy. Seafood apart from being a good source of protein fats and minerals, which are necessary for the normal growth of your fetus, they also come with high levels of mercury (2).

Why Should Prawns Be Avoided During Pregnancy?

Water pollution has caused an increase in the accumulation of toxic chemicals in marine life, which makes consumption of seafood more problematic than before.

• It is advisable to avoid consuming seafood served in restaurants during pregnancy. Since they are more likely to be undercooked and may not be prepared in the clean environments as at home.

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• If you are sure that the prawns you’ve purchased are from a safe freshwater source and are from reputable sellers, you can consume it occasionally after seeking the opinion of your healthcare provider.

Brooke Pieke, a nutritionist from the Greater Chicago Area, says, “Your body is working harder to digest the prawns, so it ‘heats’ up. As a result, you may feel symptoms such as nausea, sweating, and diarrhea. Eating lighter protein choices or reducing the quantity of prawns may help.”

What Are The Health Risks Of Eating Prawns During Pregnancy?

Consuming prawns, particularly raw prawns is extremely harmful during pregnancy, and is thought to be associated with a number of health risks including-

• Consuming raw prawns may pose the risk of food poisonings. As raw seafood tends to contain certain parasitesⁱOrganisms that reside on another organism to obtain nourishment and protection that could harm the digestive system.

“Be cautious on how prawns are prepped, as raw prawns greatly increase the risk of food poisoning. The National Institute of Health completed a study in 2022 and concluded that grilling shrimp is the best preparation method, as it maintains the taste and nutrients while decreasing bacterial growth,” recommends Pieke.

recommends Pieke.

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• Seafood contains high levels of toxic substances like mercury, which is thought to affect your baby’s nervous system development (2).
• Prawns obtained from contaminated rivers and lakes also contain high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, which may also pose health risks to your baby.
• Listeria contaminationⁱA phenomenon in which food is contaminated with Listeria bacteria, which, when ingested, may cause severe illness is also possible on consumption of raw prawns, which may cause lethal blood poisoningⁱA serious complication of an infection where a microbe or its toxins enter and spread into a person’s bloodstream and other infections to your fetus.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Eating Prawns During Pregnancy?

Prawns may offer certain benefits to expectant mothers when eaten in moderation and after consulting a doctor (3) (4).

• Rich in protein: Prawns are a rich source of protein. Every 100g of prawns contains about 20g of protein.
• Low calories: Prawns have a less calorie content and, thus, may help maintain weight during pregnancy.
• Enriched with calcium: Prawns can help meet the calcium requirement in pregnant women, thus ensuring proper development of fetal bones and preventing the risk of pre-eclampsia in mothers.

What Are Some Tips To Eat Prawns Safely During Pregnancy?

Though it is best to avoid consuming prawns during pregnancy, if your doctor is okay with the idea, you can consume it occasionally. It’s important to incorporate prawns into a balanced diet chart for pregnant women, which can help minimize any potential health risks to your fetus. Here are a few ways to consume prawns safely during pregnancy and minimize possible health risks to your fetus.

• Make sure you cook the prawns well. Most prawns turn red when cooked perfectly, and the flesh usually turns pearly and opaque.
• Cooking the prawns perfectly will ensure that all the potential infection causing agents will be killed.
• It is also a good idea to freeze the prawns 24 hours prior to cooking it- this will also kill a good number of organisms.
• Salting and pickling the prawns is also likely to make it safer to consume.

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• You can also consider consuming smoked prawns following the consultation of your doctor.
• Steaming or boiling the prawns instead of frying can help retain the nutrients and reduce unhealthy fat intake.
• If you’re cooking your dish in the oven, let it stay in the residual heat for a few minutes even after it is cooked.
• It is also a great idea to choose fresh produce for your meals during pregnancy. Canned foods pack in a lot of preservatives, which could also be harmful for your baby.

Prawns Recipes For Pregnant Women

Try these nutritious and flavorful prawn recipes that are safe and satisfying for expecting mothers.

1. Coconut curry prawns

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You will need:

• 400g of prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 can of coconut milk (400ml)
• 2 tablespoons of red curry paste
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced

How to prepare:

• In a skillet, heat oil and stir-fry red curry paste.
• Add coconut milk, bell pepper, and zucchini, and simmer until tender.
• Add prawns and cook until pink.
• Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

2. Prawn and avocado salad

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

• 200g of cooked and peeled prawns
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 cup of mixed greens
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

How to prepare:

• Mix cooked prawns, greens, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
• Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.

Infographic: Health Risks Of Consuming Prawns In Pregnancy

Consuming seafood when pregnant has many advantages, as it contains plenty of proteins and minerals, which are crucial for the mother and the growing fetus. However, it is important to know the risks before having them. So, check out the infographic below to learn about the risks and precautions for having prawns when pregnant.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Prawns During Pregnancy: Are They Good for Your Baby?

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

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Reviewer Expert Author Editor Fact Checker

Shivani SikriPublic health and Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics

Shivani Sikri is the chief nutritionist and co-founder of Nutri4Verve and holds about 13 years of experience in the field of nutrition. After completing her Masters, Shivani Sikri did a postgraduate in nutrition and health education, a postgraduate diploma in public health and nutrition (PGDPHN), and a postgraduate diploma in nutrition and clinical dietetics.

Read full bio of Shivani Sikri

• 
  Brooke PiekeMS Brooke Pieke is a nutrition educator at fitness organizations across the US, including Fitness Formula Clubs. She did her MS in Nutrition from Dominican University, IL and has over four years of experience in counseling independent clients in weight loss and management.
  
  Brooke Pieke is a nutrition educator at fitness organizations across the US, including Fitness Formula Clubs. She did her MS in Nutrition from Dominican University, IL and has over four years of experience in counseling independent clients in weight loss and management.

Anshuman MohapatraM.Tech (Biotechnology)

Anshuman Mohapatra is a biotechnology scientist with more than six years of research experience in analytical chemistry and biotechnology. He has submitted his PhD thesis at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) and served as a research fellow (JRF/SRF) during his PhD tenure.

Read full bio of Anshuman Mohapatra

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

Read full bio of Swati Patwal

Dr. Joyani DasM.Pharm, PhD

Dr. Joyani Das did her post-graduation from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and PhD in Pharmacology. Previously, she worked as an associate professor, faculty of Pharmacology, for two years. With her research background in preclinical studies and a zeal for scientific writing, she joined MomJunction as a health writer.

Read full bio of Dr. Joyani Das