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Can pregnant women eat crab or lobster?

Pregnant women can eat shellfish as long as it is cooked. They should not eat the organs or guts of fish or shellfish. Pregnant women  may eat up to 12 ounces a week of crawfish, squid , oysters, clams , shrimp, or scallops. Because some samples of lobster and crab may have much higher levels of mercury than average, pregnant should limit crab and lobster to about 6 ounces per week.

The amount of mercury found in shellfish is generally much lower than is found in other seafood.  The table below shows the average amount of mercury found in samples of shellfish along with the lowest and highest amounts found in samples of each shellfish.
 

SPECIES MEAN (PPM) RANGE (PPM)
Lobster Northern (Species unknown)    0.166 ND - 0.451
Lobster (Northern/American) 0.107 ND-0.230
Crab  (Blue, King, and Snow) 0.065 ND - 0.610
Crawfish 0.033 ND - 0.051
Squid 0.023 ND - 0.070
Oysters 0.012 ND - 0.250
Clams 0.009 ND - 0.028
Shrimp 0.009 ND - 0.050
Scallop 0.003 ND - 0.033

PPM=parts per million
ND=Not detectable  - mercury concentration below detection level
(Level of Detection (LOD)=0.01ppm)

SEE AlSO FISH AND SEAFOOD DURING PREGNANCY

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REFERENCES
1.  Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2010)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Accessed:1/2//13
2. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115662.htm

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