Listeria and pregnancy

During pregnancy, it is important to know what you are putting into your body. You need to know what you can eat and what not. Listeria is a type of bacteria that can be found in certain contaminated foods. Listeria can cause problems for you and your baby. Although listeriosis (a disease caused by ingesting Listeria) is rare, pregnant women are more susceptible to it than healthy non-pregnant adults.

What is listeria?

Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria found in water and soil. Vegetables can be contaminated from the soil, and animals can also be carriers. Listeria has been found in raw meat, raw vegetables, unpasteurized milk, products made from unpasteurized milk, and processed foods. Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking. Contamination of ready-to-eat foods such as hot dogs and delimeats is possible as contamination can occur after preparation and before packaging.

How do I know if I have listeriosis?

Symptoms of listeriosis can appear 2 to 30 days after infection. Symptoms in pregnant women include mild flu-like symptoms, headache, muscle aches, fever, nausea, and vomiting. If the infection spreads to the nervous system, it can cause neck stiffness, confusion, or seizures. Infection can occur at any time during pregnancy, but is more common in the third trimester when your immune system is somewhat weakened. Be sure to see your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. A blood test can confirm a listeriosis infection.

Will it harm my child?

If you are pregnant and infected with listeriosis, you are at increased risk of:

Miscarriage
Premature birth
Infection to the newborn
Death to the newborn (about 22% of cases of perinatal listeriosis result in stillbirth or neonatal death)
Early treatment with antibiotics may prevent fetal infection and other severe fetal complications. Not all babies whose mothers are infected will have any problems related to listeriosis.

How is it treated?

Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics during pregnancy. These antibiotics will in most cases prevent infection of the fetus and newborn. The same antibiotics are given to newborns with listeriosis.

What can I do to protect my child from listeriosis?

Following these guidelines can significantly reduce your risk of contracting listeriosis:

Eat hard cheeses, not soft ones: Pregnant women avoid soft cheeses such as feta, brie, camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as queso fresco, queso blanco, and panela that don't say they are pasteurized. Hard cheeses like cheddar and semi-soft cheeses like mozzarella are safe to eat. Pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads such as cream cheese and cottage cheese are also safe to eat. It's important to read the labels!
Be careful when eating hot dogs, deli meats or deli meats unless they are properly steamed: Pregnant women are discouraged from eating at some deli sandwich restaurants because they do not reheat deli meats. Restaurants such as Subway recommend that pregnant women eat the following meats other than lunch, such as meatballs, steak and cheese, fried chicken, and tuna (no more than 2 servings per week).
-Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads.
-Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is contained in a cooked dish, such as a casserole.

Practice safe food handling:

Wash all fruits and vegetables
Keep everything clean including your hands and preparation surfaces
Keep your refrigerator thermometer at 4 C degrees or below
Clean your refrigerator often
Avoid cross-contamination between raw and uncooked foods (this includes hot dog juices)
Cook foods at proper temperatures (use food thermometers) and reheat all foods until they are steaming hot