Alicia Timme-Laragy, professor of environmental health sciences, Models to Medicine Center, whose research focuses on developmental toxicology and environmental pollutants, recently served as an expert consultant for the National Academies Committee for their study, “The Role of Seafood in Child Growth and Development,” for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The study examines the state of scientific evidence in nutrition and toxicology of associations between seafood intake and child growth and relevant aspects of development. An overview of the conclusions and recommendations in a pre-publication report were presented in a public webinar this spring and the final report’s findings are currently being reviewed by the FDA and other co-sponsors.
"My role was to serve as a technical expert to advise NASEM staff on the design, structure and implementation of a systematic review to support the study, and to serve as an advisor to the committee regarding the structure and conduct of the systematic review,” says Timme-Laragy. “Primarily these efforts focused on the toxicology and pollutant exposure side of the report.”
She adds, “I learned a lot about how research can contribute to science-based policy assessments and recommendations, as well as how scientists from different disciplines can work together towards a common goal.”
In October 2022, the FDA, in partnership with other federal agencies, tasked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) with convening an expert committee to examine associations between seafood intake for children, adolescents and pregnant and lactating women and child growth and development.
In a press release announcing the study, the FDA noted that the report would support the goals of the FDA’s Closer to Zero Action Plan for reducing the exposure of babies and young children to mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium from foods. Seafood is part of a healthy eating pattern and provides key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a child’s brain, spinal cord and immune system development.
However, seafood is the primary dietary source of mercury, which is spread throughout the environment by both natural and human-made processes. Mercury can damage the nervous system, and babies and young children are more vulnerable to its harmful health effects. Seafood can also be a source of persistent organic pollutants including per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dioxins, olychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and microbiological hazards which may also be detrimental to the growth and development of children.
In its 2024 report, the committee identified a range of health outcomes associated with seafood consumption by pregnant and lactating women.
Meeting seafood consumption recommendations by pregnant and lactating women may provide health benefits for their children, including improved cognitive, behavioral, and language development, the committee found, and higher seafood consumption by pregnant and lactating women was found to reduce the risk of some negative health outcomes in children, including hyperactivity and the development of autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit disorder.
In total, however, the evidence was not strong enough to establish an association between seafood consumption by children and health outcomes broadly.
In examining potential risks of seafood consumption, the committee reported that concentrations of contaminants in seafood vary widely according to the species, geographic region, size and age of the animal, and according to whether the seafood is wild-caught or farm-raised (cultivated). Native and Indigenous Peoples and subsistence or sport fishers may be at greater risk of exposure to pollutants and to the resulting negative health outcomes due to the higher amount of seafood they consume or the specific locations where they fish.
For more information, view the consensus study report on the National Academies website.