Women have highly increased susceptibility to foodborne illness during pregnancy and fetuses share the same risk. Foodborne illness in pregnant women can cause serious harm or even death to an unborn baby. Complications include premature birth, meningitis, mental retardation, sepsis, stillbirth, and spontaneous miscarriage (abortion). Serious foodborne germ threats to pregnant women and their babies include Listeria, Toxoplasma gondii, E. coli 0157:H7, and Salmonella.

Fortunately, although there is no "zero-risk" approach you can take to avoid foodborne illnesses, your medical risks can be greatly lessened by following certain guidelines when preparing and consuming food during your pregnancy.

Avoid Certain Foods and Handle Others with Extra Care - The foods on this list have caused outbreaks of diseases known to be dangerous to your pregnancy

Avoid:

• Raw or unpasteurized milk or cheeses, or lightly cooked foods made from them. Soft cheeses, such as Feta, Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, ricotta and Mexican-style cheese are commonly unpasteurized and thus are best avoided unless thoroughly cooked.
• Raw fish or shellfish, including oysters, sushi, clams, mussels, and scallops. Ready-to-eat, refrigerated seafood products (smoked salmon/ lox, jerky, etc).
• Foods containing raw or lightly cooked eggs, including certain salad dressings, cookie and cake batters, sauces, unpasteurized eggnog and meringues.
• Pates. Raw meat or undercooked ground, chopped or shaped meat.
• Raw or undercooked poultry.
• Ready-made or prepackaged salads.
• Raw sprouts of any kind.
• Unpasteurized fruit or vegetable juices, including ciders.
• Pre-sliced cantaloupe and food from salad bars and smorgasbords.

Reheat Until Steaming, or Do Not Eat at All:
Leftovers, hot dogs, cold, ready to eat meats, including ham, bologna, and other lunchmeats (cold cuts), fermented and dry sausage, and other deli style meat and poultry products.

Take Special Care When Cooking and Eating:

• Wash hands often, for 15-20 seconds using hot, soapy water before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
• Limit use of antacids. Ingestion of antacids increases the risk of foodborne illness because it reduces the stomach acids which normally control bacteria.
• Be particularly cautious about the food safety track records of dining establishments you frequent. Avoid places that appear unsanitary.
• Follow regular safe food handling tips especially carefully. For more specific information and steps you can take to minimize your risks from foodborne disease, see S.T.O.P.'s website at www.safetables.org.

Be On The Alert for Symptoms of Foodborne Illness During Pregnancy:
Symptoms of foodborne illness may be less severe and more difficult to detect in pregnant women because they may be confused with normal symptoms of pregnancy, such as morning sickness, or even a mild flu. Symptoms of foodborne illness can appear right away or up to several weeks after eating a contaminated food. Because the consequences can be dire, if you have even fleeting symptoms resembling those listed, contact your doctor immediately and ask whether testing for Listeriosis, Salmonellosis or Toxoplasmosis would be advised.

Symptoms to Watch For:

• Feve
• Muscle aches
• Neck ache
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Lymph node enlargement

For more information about Listeriosis, Salmonellosis, Toxoplasmosis and other foodborne diseases, see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus or call S.T.O.P. at 1-800-350-STOP.

Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.) is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit working to reduce suffering, illness and death due to food contaminated by
pathogens.

This fact sheet was compiled by Laureen Spitz, S.T.O.P. member, listeria survivor, in memory of Zena Rose Spitz, listeria victim,
for S.T.O.P., and is produced for redistribution in its entirety. To excerpt a part or reprint in a publication, contact S.T.O.P. at PO Box 4352,
Burlington, VT 05406; (802) 863-0555; or e-mail to feedbackgstop-usa.org.