Almost every woman knows the basic of what they should and
should not do during pregnancy. They
know that caffeine should be cut back; they should not smoke, drink alcohol or
spend time in any hot tubs. However
more and more studies are being done to see if pregnant women should avoid
certain foods for the duration of their pregnancy.
It is
essential that pregnant women eat a well balanced meal at all times to provide
their growing baby with the vitamins, nutrients and minerals that the baby needs
to grow. There are some foods though that
needs to be avoided due to the risk they pose to not just to the mother, but
also to the growing baby.
For
starters, raw meat needs to be avoided due to the risk of toxoplasmosis and
salmonella. This means no more rare
steaks, or rare burgers. Pregnant women
should take caution and make sure that all of the meat they eat is cooked well
done. Cold deli meat should also be
avoided because of the risk of listeria.
Listeria can cross the placenta and can cause an infection or blood
poisoning to the baby. Keep in mind
though that deli meat can be reheated until it is steaming and this will help
reduce the risk.
Speaking of
listeria there are other foods that can contain this bacteria. Some soft cheeses such as brie, feta, and
gorgonzola. These cheeses are commonly
made with unpasterized milk.
Unpasterized milk often contains listeria, so pregnant women need to
make sure that any soft cheeses they are going to eat are made with pasteurized
milk.
Fish has always
been a subject of debate for pregnant women.
While some forms of fish contain essential nutrients that are needed by
the baby, others contain a high level of mercury. Any fish with a high level of mercury such
as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish and fish used in sushi should be
avoided through out pregnancy. Studies
have linked mercury to developmental delays and in some cases brain
damage. Tuna also contains a lot of
mercury but canned, chunk light tuna has a lower amount of mercury and can be eaten
in moderation. Raw shellfish also
should be avoided through out pregnancy.
Raw eggs or
anything containing raw eggs is a no no during pregnancy. There is a potential exposure to
salmonella. This means no raw cookie
dough, no brownie mix, and some homemade sauces such as hollandaise, Caesar
dressing and blue cheese dressing. When
dining in a restaurant, it would be wise to ask any sauces or dressings contain
any raw eggs. Most restaurants should be
using pasteurized eggs in any raw egg recipe but one should still double
check.
There has never been a more important time to
be careful what a woman eats then when she is pregnant. Some of the above foods have been linked to
miscarriages and other birth defects.
If you are pregnant and you have already indulged in a few of the foods
you should not have, do not panic.
Chances are, you and your baby are fine but take extra care to avoid
these foods in the future.
Show Konversi KodeHide Konversi Kode Show EmoticonHide Emoticon