Listeria in pregnancy

AT all times we must be careful what we consume, but policing what we put into our bodies when pregnant is crucial. This is why helping expecting mothers to understand food safety is an integral part of prenatal guidance. Obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Robyn Khemlani said that pregnant women might find a number of their favourite foods on the list of foods to avoid because of the potential to expose them to harmful food contaminants such as listeria.

“Listeria is a kind of bacteria that is found in soil, water, and some animals, including cattle and poultry. As such, some foods are more susceptible to contamination, such as unpasteurised (raw) milk, uncooked meat and fish, uncooked vegetables, lunch meat and soft cheeses. When foods tainted by listeria are eaten, it causes a foodborne illness called listeriosis, which is one of the most serious types of food poisoning,” Dr Khemlani explained.

She said listeria can be found just about anywhere food is prepared — in our homes, restaurants, and food processing plants, for example. Fortunately, the ObGyn said that listeriosis is rare; however, it is important that pregnant women take greater care to avoid exposure to the bacteria because they are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than non-pregnant women and other healthy adults.

If someone becomes infected with listeriosis, Dr Khemlani said that the symptoms of the infection may vary, even to a woman having no symptoms at all. However, it is important to note that symptoms might not appear for several weeks after initial exposure because of the lengthy incubation period of this bacterium.

“Listeriosis can cause mild, flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, diarrhoea or upset stomach. Symptoms may appear as late as two months after you have eaten something with listeria; however, many pregnant women do not have any symptoms. This, however, does not guarantee that the foetus has been spared because even if you do not feel sick, you can pass the infection to your foetus,” Dr Khemlani explained.

Listeriosis during pregnancy is quite worrying because it carries a range of possible complications for the mother and her baby, among these being miscarriage, stillbirth and pre-term labour.

“Babies born with listeriosis may have serious infections of the blood or brain. It can cause lifelong health problems for your baby, including intellectual disability, paralysis, seizures, blindness, or problems with the brain, kidneys, or heart. In some cases, listeriosis can also cause death in newborns,” Dr Khemlani advised.

For these reasons, she said that if you think you have eaten food contaminated with listeria or if you have any of the symptoms of listeriosis, you should contact your health provider immediately for treatment that will benefit both you and the baby.

“Your ObGyn or other health care professional may give you a blood test to see if you have listeriosis. It is important that you act on your suspicions right away so that you may be prescribed antibiotics [if the tests come back positive for the bacteria]. These medications will prevent your foetus from becoming infected,” she instructed.

To reduce your chances of getting listeriosis, Dr Khemlani said that you should follow the following recommendations while pregnant:

•Avoid unpasteurised milk and foods made with unpasteurised milk, including soft cheeses.

•Avoid hot dogs, unless they are heated until steaming hot just before serving.

•Keep away from refrigerated pâté and meat spreads.

•Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood.

•Do not eat unwashed raw produce such as fruits and vegetables.

•Avoid all raw and undercooked seafood, eggs, meat and poultry. Do not eat sushi made with raw fish (cooked sushi is safe).

She said that some other food safety steps that will reduce the chances of your food being contaminated with this potentially dangerous bacteria include:

•Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after touching raw food, and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or touching an animal.

•Rinse all raw produce thoroughly under running water before eating, peeling, cutting, or cooking.

•Keep your kitchen clean. Wash your utensils, countertops and cutting boards with soap and hot water after using them.

•Keep raw meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and their juices away from other food.

•Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

•Do not put cooked food on a plate that also held raw food.

•Do not put cooked food in the same sauce that was used to marinate raw food, unless the sauce is boiled first.

•Remember, thoroughly cooking foods and pasteurisation are the only ways to kill listeria.