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Salmonella
This is usually traceable to eggs and chicken meat. This means no
more licking the cake batter spoon! You should always ensure that
your eggs and meats are cooked thoroughly. When using a cutting
board for chicken be sure to wash it prior to using it for another
food, particularly things like raw vegetables.
Symptoms can include: headache, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea,
shivering or fever.
Usually symptoms occur within 12-48 hours after infection and lasts
about 2-3 days. Only if it is severe will treatment usually be
necessary. Though if you're vomiting and become dehydrated IV
therapy may be beneficial.
Listeriosis
Food most likely to be infected by listeria are unpasteurized milk
products, improperly cooked meats, cooked chilled food (luncheon
meat being the most recent scare), soft cheese are some of the
major players. Normally this bacteria is killed at the pasteurizing
temperature, but if the food is refrigerated after being infected
the bacteria is still present. Rarely, but still possible for some,
is transmission through direct contact with live stock.
General aches and pains accompanied by a fever are the main
symptoms. Usually people think that they have the flu. Reports of
miscarriage (including recurrent) and stillbirths have been linked
to listeriosis infections spread by the mother to the unborn
baby.
Toxoplasmosis
When people think of this they usually think of cat boxes. While
this can be a source of transmission, and why pregnant women should
not change litter, this can also be spread through eating
improperly washed, raw vegetables, particularly grown where cats
use the bathroom in or near the soil. Eating raw or undercooked
meat and pork is another way to get infected.
Many who own cats have probably already been infected and are not
really at risk during pregnancy. The symptoms are generally flu
like, so they go fairly unnoticed. Contact your midwife or doctor
for a blood titer to see if you're already immune or if you've been
exposed.
Botulism
This form of food poisoning is fairly rare, but very serious.
Improperly stored or canned foods are the largest source of
infections in humans.
With a few handy tips you can make your kitchen a safe place, not
only for pregnancy, but for your entire family as well.
Tips:
* Never eat raw meat or eggs
* Always wash your hands after preparing food, between foods, and
after the restroom
* Avoid contaminating foods with each other
* Always use clean utensils and cooking equipment
* Avoid dented cans
* Eat or drink only pasteurized products, including apple
juice
* Completely defrost foods, especially meats, prior to
cooking
* Do not refreeze anything that has been defrosted
* Reheat food only once, then toss it
