When fish is not contaminated, moderate consumption of the protein-rich food source by pregnant women and young children appears to boost the children's neurological development, a new study shows.

"Our research adds to the literature suggesting that fish contains nutrients that may enhance early brain development," said Dr. Julie Daniels, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health. "We cannot say that we have proven that eating fish will have long-lasting effects in making people smarter, since we have only looked at early development markers through an observational study."