Food hazards during pregnancy

During pregnancy, and especially in the first trimester, you are sensitive to infections transmitted with food, which are dangerous for the baby. But if you follow some simple rules, you will cook and eat food that is rich in nutrients and is absolutely safe for you and your child.

Bacterial toxins contained in certain types of foods, as well as due to non-hygiene cooking, can pass through the placenta from the mother's blood to the baby. In addition, during pregnancy, the natural immunity is somewhat reduced, as there are changes in metabolism and circulation systems. That's why you need to reduce the risk of food-borne infections.

BUY RANDOM

Food safety starts at the supermarket. Dairy products, meat, poultry and fish should always be chosen with the longest period of implementation and at the end of the shopping, so that these products are outside the refrigerator for a shorter time. Never eat after the expiration date. When selecting, do not take products with damaged packaging, for example crumpled cans or torn plastic bags, so that the product is guaranteed to be safe.

Should Do Choose Environmentally Friendly Products?

More and more often there is a choice between ecologically clean and ordinary products, which are considered by many to be more useful for health, since they are grown without the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. It is believed that not only these pollutants worsen the state of the environment, but also the cumulative effects of these and other chemicals and contaminants - from the environment, smoking and drinking alcohol - can harm your body.

But this does not mean that products produced in the usual way are unsafe: the use of chemicals by farmers is strictly controlled and you can minimize their intake, carefully washing my vegetables and fruits before eating. It must also be taken into account that consumption of only environmentally friendly products is a matter of personal choice. It should also be noted that such products are much more expensive and protein, nutrients and fibers in them can be no more than in conventional products.

RULES FOR HANDLING

You may already be familiar with safe cooking practices, but during pregnancy, pay more attention to the hygiene of everything related to the kitchen. Always:

♦ Unpack and store frozen and refrigerated products immediately after returning from the store. Do not eat freshly cooked food pack and place in the refrigerator or freezer immediately after it has cooled down.

♦ Store raw and cooked food separately. Raw meat and poultry must be packed and stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so that their juice does not fall on other foods.

♦ Avoid defrosting food outside the refrigerator.

♦ Do not freeze unfrozen food.

♦ Wash hands, kitchen utensils and work surfaces before cooking and after cooking.

♦ For raw meat and poultry use one board, and for the rest of the food - another.

♦ Thoroughly prepare meat, poultry and eggs.

♦ Make sure that the food being heated remains hot all the time, but do not reheat it more than once.

♦ Avoid unpasteurized honey.

HOW TO AVOID INFECTIONS

During pregnancy, you should not eat some foods so as not to catch the infection transmitted by them. The most common infections from infected products are listeriosis and salmonellosis, less frequent toxoplasmosis.

Listeriosis

The bacterium that causes listeriosis is called listeria monocytogenes, it is widely distributed in the environment, especially in the soil. One-third of all listeriosis diseases occur in pregnant women, and severe cases that are rare can lead to miscarriage, unpasteurized sheep and goat's milk and products from them, cooked food cooled for subsequent reheating, finished shredded cabbage, hot dogs, undercooked birds,raw fish and undercooked shellfish and crustaceans.

Salmonellosis

Since the Salmonella bacterium is resistant and can withstand light cooking, any potential source, such as eggs and poultry, must be carefully treated to destroy all traces of infection. It makes sense during the pregnancy to exclude from the diet raw and undercooked eggs, as well as dishes that can contain raw eggs: homemade mayonnaise, mousse and ice cream.

Toxoplasmosis

This infection, caused by the microorganism toxoplasma gondii, can lead to impaired brain function or blindness of the child. Especially high risk in the third trimester. The microorganism lives on the feces of animals, especially wild cats, but is found in soil, raw and undercooked meat and poultry. Therefore, make sure that meat and poultry are always carefully processed, for example, eat pork only when it is "well cooked".Also, carefully wash vegetables and fruits, wash your hands after stroking pets, try to avoid contact with cat litter, wear gloves when working in the garden, wash your hands before preparing food and before eating.

WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION

In addition to products that are potential sources of infection and which experts recommend to avoid, there are certain types of foods and beverages whose effects are not clear. Given the diversity of opinions about security and the conflicting advice of friends and the media, it is difficult to determine what is possible and what not to eat and drink. Below are some considerations.

Can I drink alcohol?

When deciding whether to consume alcohol during pregnancy, you should be guided by a sense of proportion and common sense. There are many scientific data showing that daily use of alcohol or rampant binges can lead to serious complications. Moderate alcohol use - one or two glasses a day or occasional booze - may increase the risk of miscarriage, complications during labor and low birth weight. Pregnant women who abuse alcohol( that is, drink at least five glasses a day) risk to cause the child a condition called "alcoholic fetus syndrome";this term covers a wide range of congenital disorders, including heart problems, learning difficulties or structural disorders of the face and limbs, as well as growth problems and death.

Although there is little evidence that accidental drinking will harm a child, many experts believe that it is safer during pregnancy to completely abandon alcohol. Other doctors agree that in the first trimester, when the main organs of the child are formed, it is better to completely give up alcohol. If you drink from time to time, remember that alcohol is transmitted to your child through the blood. Limit alcohol consumption by one or two glasses a week, preferably drink alcohol with food, as the food absorbs it.

Can I use caffeine?

The use of caffeine in large doses( more than 300 mg per day) can increase the risk of having a baby with a low weight and miscarriage. The average cup of coffee contains 75-150 mg of caffeine. Therefore it is permissible to drink one or two cups of coffee a day, but remember that this is an average cup, not a large one, which is served in most coffee houses. Also remember that caffeine is found in tea, cola drinks, energy drinks, cocoa and chocolate.

Should salt be limited?

To many women, friends or relatives advise to limit salt intake to prevent swelling of the legs and ankles. However, such advice does not coincide with medical recommendations. Odema( swelling) does appear as a result of water retention by the body, which is caused by the activity of hormones. Hormones of pregnancy also increase the amount of sodium that you lose with urine. Do not overdo it with salt, but do not limit its use.

Are fish, shellfish and shellfish safe?

Fish are a good source of nutrients, and you need to eat at least two servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily. However, raw fish and undercooked shellfish and crustaceans should be discarded. It is also recommended to avoid eating swordfish, shark and marlin and limit the use of tuna with one fresh steak or two medium sized cans a week. In these species of fish a high content of methyl mercury is fixed, a chemical that can damage the development of the nervous system of the child.

Will nuts provoke an allergy in a child?

In in recent years, it has been suggested that if a woman uses products containing peanuts during pregnancy, her child may be prone to allergy to peanuts. For this reason, women with a food allergy or who have this disease in their families are advised to avoid nuts, including peanuts, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Other women do not need to exclude peanuts and other nuts from the diet.

Foods that should be avoided.

It is very difficult to control everything that during pregnancy you can eat and what not, so the following is a list of foods that should be avoided:

♦ All unpasteurized cheeses: feta cheese, brie and camembert cheese types and blue cheeses such as stilton and denish blouse,even if they are pasteurized.

♦ Sheep and goat's milk and products from them.

♦ All fresh pastes, regardless of whether they are meat, fish or vegetable;canned pates can be consumed.

♦ Semi-prepared cooled food and pre-cooked poultry that can not be warmed without the risk of infection.

Raw and semi-cooked eggs or dishes containing them, in volume , including some desserts made at home mayonnaise and Dutch sauce.

♦ Dishes from raw meat such as steak with wine and Parma ham.

♦ Raw fish, including sushi.

♦ Raw or undercooked shellfish and crustaceans, such as oysters, mussels, cold prawns and crabs.