Is Swordfish safe during pregnancy?
Fish
Official sources differ
The official sources below do not agree, so each position is shown with who holds it.[1,2,3,4,5,6]
- FDA/EPA and US CDC: Swordfish is a Choice to Avoid (highest mercury levels); the CDC lists it as a high-mercury, riskier choice.
- NHS: Avoid swordfish in pregnancy.
- FSANZ: At most 1 portion (150 g) of billfish, swordfish included, a fortnight, with no other fish that fortnight.
What official sources say
US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years)
- Fish chart:
Swordfish Choice to Avoid: HIGHEST MERCURY LEVELS
[1]
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- Fish and seafood › Foods to avoid: Swordfish, shark and marlin are on the list of foods to avoid in pregnancy.[3]
NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy
- Some fish should be avoided when you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, including shark, swordfish and marlin.[4]
FSANZ: Mercury in fish
- Women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy: 1 portion is 150 grams:
1 portion per fortnight of Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Swordfish/Broadbill and Marlin) and no other fish that fortnight
[5]
FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating
It is safe to eat two to three serves of fish per week, but it is important to limit intakes of fish high in naturally occurring mercury (e.g. flake, swordfish, orange roughy).
[6]
Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)
| Energy | 144 kcal |
| Protein | 19.66 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Iron | 0.38 mg |
| Calcium | 5 mg |
| Folate (DFE) | 2 µg |
| Folate, total | 2 µg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 36 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Vitamin D | 13.9 µg |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.7 µg |
| Choline | 65 mg |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0.648 g |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0.108 g |
| Caffeine | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 81 mg |
USDA FoodData Central: Fish, swordfish, raw (FDC ID 173703), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.
Sources
- US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
- NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
- FSANZ: Mercury in fish · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
Sources checked 26 September 2026.
Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.
Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.