Pregnant women who eat more than three servings of fish a week — that is, more than the maximum recommended by the United States health regulators — may face an increased risk of having babies who grow rapidly and become obese in childhood, a research review suggests.

Previous research has linked one pollutant in fish — mercury — to damage of the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

Because of this, the US Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency encourage pregnant women to limit consumption to no more than three servings a week.