Hilary Duff ate sushi while pregnant, and people are concerned

Hilary Duff’s sushi date raised eyebrows. (Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
Hilary Duff’s sushi date raised eyebrows. (Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

Step right up, Hilary Duff. You’re the latest celebrity parent whose social media activity has sparked baby-centric backlash.

Whether it’s John Stamos being schooled on baby carriers or Kylie Jenner getting grief for piercing her infant’s ears, social media has become a feeding ground for those who want to weigh in on other people’s parenting.

Now Duff, who is expecting a girl with boyfriend Matthew Koma, has raised concerns after sharing footage of her trip to a spa this week. The Younger actress’s Instagram shows her clinking cups of tea with a pal after enjoying a massage.

While pregnant women are advised to take certain precautions with spa treatments — such as lying on the side, rather than on the stomach or back, during a massage — it’s the platter of sushi shown in the video that really has fans worried.

Though Duff is not actually shown eating the sushi, its presence has prompted many people to scold her for putting her unborn baby at risk. Advice about eating raw fish varies, but pregnant women in the U.S. are typically told to abstain from eating sushi or fish with high mercury levels because of fears that it will trigger a parasitic infection or impair the baby’s brain and nervous system.

That said, sushi featuring fish that has been frozen first, or a cooked version like shrimp tempura, is generally considered safe. There are also veggie options that don’t feature any raw fish.

As such, it’s possible that Duff’s meal was perfectly safe. But that hasn’t stopped the star, who is also the mother of 6-year-old son Luca, from being subjected to mommy-shaming remarks.

A few sample comments:

“Veggie-only sushi I hope. No sushi while pregnant.”

“Hey Hilary, [it’s] super-risky to eat sushi when women are pregnant.”

“Wait, sushi when you’re pregnant?”

Others defended the star, pointing out that Duff was probably well-aware of the risks and acted accordingly.

“I’m sure she’s smart enough to know what she can and can’t eat,” one commenter responded. “It’s not like she is dumb or pregnant for the first time ever.”

Duff hasn’t responded to the controversy.

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