Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

This thread on Listeriosis got me thinking about what foods we should avoid during pregnancy.  As always, ask your doctor if you have concerns, but here is a general list of foods to avoid and why. 

• Raw Meat: It can contain coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.
• Deli Meat: It may contain Listeria, as mentioned in the previous post.
• Pate: Refrigerated pate and meat spreads can contain Listeria. Canned types should be safe to eat.
• Liver:  While liver is not unsafe to eat during pregnancy, woman are urged to limit the amount they consume.  It is high in Vitamin A, and some studies have shown this may cause birth defects.   
• Fish with Mercury: Shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and certain types of fish used for sushi may contain mercury. Even canned tuna may contain trace amounts of mercury and should be eaten sparingly. Mercury has been linked to developmental delays and brain damage.
• Smoked Seafood: Refrigerated, smoked seafood could be contaminated with Listeria. These types of smoked seafood may be labeled as lox, nova style, kippered, or jerky. However, if cooked as part of a recipe, they should be okay to consume.
• Fish Exposed to Industrial Pollutants: This includes only fish from local waterways (not grocery stores) that may have been exposed to high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls. These may include bluefish, striped bass, salmon, pike, trout, and walleye.
• Raw Shellfish: Raw shellfish such as oysters, clams, and mussels can cause health problems for anyone who consumes them. Algae associated with red tides can cause infection, so it is advisable for anyone to avoid raw shellfish, pregnant or not.
• Raw Eggs: Raw eggs and products containing raw eggs should not be consumed due to risk of salmonella. Some examples of foods that contain raw eggs are homemade Caesar dressings, mayonnaise, homemade ice cream or custard, and Hollandaise sauce. Foods produced commercially or by restaurants are made with pasteurized eggs, so the risk of salmonella is reduced.
• Soft Cheeses: Again, these may contain Listeria. Examples include Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, Feta, Gorgonzola, and some Mexican style cheeses.
• Unpasteurized Milk: Unpasteurized milk may contain Listeria.
• Unwashed Vegetables: Don’t stop eating veggies now! Just remember to wash them properly before eating them raw. The soil they were grown in my have been contaminated with toxoplasmosis.
• Caffeine and Alcohol:  New studies suggest caffeine could be linked to miscarriage, and it is not known what amount of alcohol may be safe during pregnany, if any is safe at all.  Better safe than sorry! 

For more in depth information on any of these foods, please check out the links below:

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhea lth/foodstoavoid.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-nu trition/PR00109

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/nutritioninpreg n/a/aaabavoidfood.htm

Hot dogs, brats, etc are another to avoid because of the potential for listeriosis.