Pregnancy is a thing that offers joyful moments with the exchange of proper care and attention. And if anyhow you fail to do so, or do any kind of mistakes then dangers are always there. For example, food poisoning during pregnancy and it’s brutal consequences.
As we have heard, food poisoning is perilous to human health, still how is food poisoning during pregnancy affect the baby as well?
What can be the possible signs of it that you’re exposed to come upon?
Let’s discover.
But before all else, what does food poisoning mean actually?
WHAT DOES FOOD POISONING MEAN?
Forthright glance, food poisoning means an infection or irritation in the digestive tract caused by microorganisms through the intake of contaminated foods. And it gives rise to vomiting, diarrhea, mild headaches, bloating as its common symptoms.
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Typically, it occurs by dint of virus, bacteria and parasites that make the food impure. Moreover, harmful chemicals present in foods can lead the way to food poisoning as well.
FOOD POISONING CAUSES DURING PREGNANCY
Truth be told, we barely are concerned about hygiene and boosting immune levels. At least most of us, I presume.
That’s why forgetting everything, we eat everything and put all the responsibility on the immunity to kill the germs off that enter into the body via contaminated foods.
However, if immune levels are in check, then it can stamp out the harmful organisms and keep the risk of food poisoning at bay.
Notwithstanding, as pregnancy is the case, you’re vulnerable to food poising during pregnancy because of the weakened immunity.
Gestation is ill famed to alter immunity in a negative manner, thus your body faces difficulties to fight off germs supplied through contaminated food and makes to feel sick.
This is why you’re open to attack for food poisoning while pregnant.
SYMPTOMS OF FOOD POISONING
Basically, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting is the most common symptom of food poisoning. Rather than that, you’re more likely to face these following signs of food poisoning in pregnancy.
- Headaches and weakness
- Dehydration
- Abdominal pain and discomfort
- Blood in stool
- Fever
- Dizziness
- Loss of appetite and indigestion
- Stomach cramps
As mentioned above, nausea and vomiting are the typical symptoms of food poisoning that totally resemble to the signs of morning sickness in the early pregnancy.
So you need to enquire deep whether it’s only morning sickness or not. If you’re still unsure, then consult with your doctor to rule it out.
TYPES OF FOOD POISONING
Food poisoning occurs when the food gets impure with bacteria, parasites, viruses or toxic chemicals. Barring on mysteries, these are the most common types of food poisoning that you may run into.
- Listeriosis
- E.coli
- Norovirus
- Salmonellosis
- Campylobacter
LISTERIA WHILE PREGNANT
Food poisoning caused by listeria or listeriosis occurs by dint of eating foods contaminated by bacteria named listeria monocytogenes.
In line with CDC’s report, there are only 200 pregnant women who get listeriosis in the United Stated Per year.
This illness however can be a threatful condition for the baby since it can lead to premature labor, low birth-weight infant or even worse infant death.
But it causes mild symptoms on the mother.
HOW DOES IT TAKE PLACE?
Listeria is a foodborne bacterial infection that can occur by consuming raw vegetables contaminated by soil or fertilizers, contaminated meat, improperly processed deli meats, under cooked meats, hot dogs.
Unpasteurized milk products including soft cheeses, impure poultry and sea food can cause it as well.
E. COLI WHILE PREGNANT
Food poisoning by e coli can originate by E. coli aka Escherichia coli that naturally found in your gut. The presence of this bacteria is vital since they promote your health by producing compounds that consequently take up iron.
Notwithstanding, they are also known as a pathogen that give rise to food poisoning during pregnancy and steal away nutrients from their only host.
This bacterium is pretty harmless and keep your digestive tract on track. However, when E. coli injected in your body by virtue of impure eats, they can bring about diarrhea when pregnant.
Besides, this bacterium can possibility damage blood vessel lining or kidney failure in worse manner.
HOW DOES IT TAKE PLACE?
You may transfer E. coli bacterium via contaminated vegetables, fruits, improperly cooked meat, unpasteurized milk and fruit juice.
Drinking water contaminated impure by E. coli can also lead to this type of food poisoning during pregnancy.
SALMONELLA WHILE PREGNANT
Salmonella while pregnant causes salmonellosis which is typically not that harmful to run into yet, should be given due attention!
In general salmonellosis occurs by reason of eating under cooked or raw eggs, poultry meats and other unpasteurized eatables. Salmonella bacteria typically contaminated foods that get tossed with soil or animal feces.
This bacterial health aversion, however, can rarely pass from mother to baby through causing a cold miscarriage.
But for that, salmonella can affect fetus from slim to nothing manner still may bring bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever on your health.
NOROVIRUS WHILE PREGNANT
Resembling to salmonella, norovirus is another form of food poising that causes little to no harms to unborn baby. (Directly)
This type of food poisoning during pregnancy crops up when accidentally tiny particles of feces or vomit of an infected person come into your body through foods.
Apart from that this virus rapidly spreads by weigh of contaminated foods and drinks, sharing foods with an infected one, or even using their utensils.
InSite of the fact that, norovirus can’t influence the developing baby still it can affect the health of the pregnant women.
Feeling extremely unwell, diarrhea, vomiting more often a day are caused due to the sickness. You may even experience dehydration for the sake of norovirus and loss of water is quite a wrong signal for mother-to-be.
CAMPYLOBACTER WHILE PREGNANT
Campylobacter- is a perilous food poisoning during pregnancy that may possibly result in miscarriage in the early pregnancy, still birth and intrauterine infection of the infant.
Even worse, you can pass it to your new borne at the time of delivery and having such a dangerous condition could be life threatening for it.
Food poisoning in pregnancy by campylobacter can occur because of eating raw or uncooked poultry or something that touched it.
Moreover, having sea food, meat, by contact with animals and drinking untreated water can boost the risks of campylobacteria while pregnant.
Also Read:
Complete List Of Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy
HOW TO TREAT FOOD POISONING WHILE PREGNANT?
Carrying a baby inside you and looking for the so-called home remedies for food poisoning in pregnancy could be a poor decision to come upon.
Since you know, pregnancy is literally a sensitive period, thus treating any type of illnesses in the guidance of your doctor is necessary. Does not matter how teeny-wenny the illness sound to others moreover to you.
Referring to the case of this trouble, if you’re experiencing unusual symptoms, then call your doctor right away. She/he may first do some examinations to know whether it is food poisoning or not.
If it is mild, then your doctor will help you to get control over your symptoms at home. However, if your health condition is now out of control and you’re facing diarrhea along with frequent vomiting then hospitalization is required.
More importantly, do not take any kind of over-the-counter medication or antibiotics in order to achieve instant treatment. Let your doctor or healthcare provider be handling this issue.
MILD FOOD POISONING WHILE PREGNANT
Food poisoning can also be very mild, thus can be treated at home with the guidance of your doctor. Since it causes severe dehydration, which is problematic during pregnancy, you should be drinking lots of liquids no matter what.
You can choose clear liquids, small sips of water, fluids including unsweetened cranberry juice, pasteurized fruit juices etc. or even ice chips for that.
Soon the vomiting stops, try to eat something in a very little amount and of course slowly. And you should be looking for light foods rather than any oily heavy meals.
FOOD POISONING AND PREGNANCY: WHEN TO CALL DOCTOR
Food poisoning can both be mild or severe. Still, you have to be wide awake of the symptoms and learn when it’s time to call the doctor.
As referring to this concept, these are some of the alarming symptoms of food poisoning while pregnant that hint you to let your doctor to get involved in.
- Black and tarry stool
- Dehydration with extreme thirst and dry lips
- Dizziness weakness and fatigue
- Unbearable pain in the abdomen
- Bloody stool
- Pus in stool
- Frequent vomiting and diarrhea
- A little to no urine
- A bad fever with temperature higher than 101F
If you’re experiencing even one or two of these above-mentioned signs, notify your doc as fast as you can, as you need medical help right away. After you inform them, they’ll act some test with your blood and stool to get confirmed about what’s exactly making you ill.
Soon they get clarified, they will prescribe you a course of antibiotics in order to recover from food poisoning during pregnancy.
COMPLICATIONS WITH FOOD POISONING IN PREGNANCY
More often than not, certain type of food poisoning is pretty harmless to the baby. Poisonings treated at the early phase, ensure almost no damage to the motherhood and the baby itself.
Still, some of them are there, that may result with life threatening results, that are so hard to undo, especially when do not get recognized.
In a above board manner, the following ones are the complications affiliated with food poisoning while pregnant. Read them all.
DEHYDRATION
The basic problem with food poisoning while pregnant is dehydration. It can make your body lose a plenty amount of water, essential salts and minerals in a limited period.
As about dehydration, it can be risky since it can possibly lead to lower levels of amniotic fluid, furthermore influencing the development of the baby.
POISONING BY E. COLI CAN MAKE YOU WEAK
Food poisoning by E. coli often includes severe health problems such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, bloody stool and frequent vomiting that can make you feel so weak.
POISONING BY LISTERIA CAN CAUSE MISCARRIAGE
Poisoning of eatables polluted by listeria is dangerous for the baby, as it causes preterm labor, low birth weight or worse miscarriage slash still birth of the child.
If anyhow the baby overcomes these issues, still it carries a greater possibility to come across misfortunes embracing seizures, blindness, paralysis and issues affiliated with brain, heart or kidneys.
POISONING BY SALMONELLA CAN CAUSE MISCARRIAGE
Unusually, poisoning of eats by salmonella causes no impacts on the unborn baby, yet rarely the bacteria can be delivered to baby via placenta.
Moreover, there are cases where salmonella bacteria causing infection of amniotic fluid. This infected amniotic fluid in further probably lead to miscarriage.
CAMPYLOBACTER CASES MISCARRIAGE IN EARLY PREGNANCY
Campylobacter food poisoning often causes miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. In addition, you can even pass these bacteria to your baby at the time of delivery, causing early infections in the baby too.
Alright, the above-mentioned factors are the off-note effects of food poisoning during pregnancy to be wide awake of.
FOODS TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY
Further on, the text has stated some foods that toweringly boost the possibilities of food poisoning while pregnant. Make sure to be well informed about the each and neglect them at any event, at any circumstances.
UNCOOKED MEAT-BASED FOODS
Pregnant women thoroughly are advised to avoid undercooked or raw meats no matter what. While fully cooked meat can provide you lots of benefits, eating it raw increases the risk of toxoplasmosis and food poisoning.
RAW EGGS
Eggs tops the list of superfoods for pregnancy, still having it raw or undercooked can be its exact opposite. Having foods including undercooked eggs such as eggnog, uncooked cookie dough, hollandaise sauce, smoothies can magnify the chances of salmonellosis in pregnancy.
UNPASTEURIZED FRUIT JUICES
Serving yourself unpasteurized fruit juices can increase your risk of getting salmonella, E. coli and listeria during pregnancy.
HOMEMADE MANGO PICKLES
Eating pickles not only satisfies your pregnancy cravings but also can gift you a number of benefits as well. But, Homemade pickles, especially mango pickles, are more likely to be contaminated by listeria. And this can cause food poisoning by listeria.
SMOKED AND GRILLED MEATS
Having smoked and grilled meat are quite a safe thing to act until the meat is properly smoked. But, having under smoked meats can cause food poisoning.
Thus, keep a kitchen thermometer handy and thoroughly use it to know whether it is cooked out-and-out or not. Numerically, you should have meats that are cooked above 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
UNPASTEURIZED DAIRY PRODUCTS
Consuming unpasteurized dairy products is a risky thing to act since it is affiliated with the possibilities of listeria, salmonellosis, e coli food poisoning during pregnancy.
RAW SPROUTS
One should not eat raw sprouts during pregnancy. Eating undercooked and raw sprouts including alfalfa, bean, radish can lead to food poisoning from listeria, E. coli or salmonella.
PACKED MEATS
According to a study, pregnant women should avoid packed meats during pregnancy in order to stay steer clear of food poisoning.
BLUE VEINED CHEESE
Blue-veined cheese are supposed to be contaminated by listeria as they are made up with mould. This type of cheese can cause listeria food poisoning leading to the misfortunes like preterm labor, low birth weight or may even miscarriage.
On whole these are the foods who can possibly cause food poisoning during pregnancy.
In order to make it easy for you, here is a list of foods who can or may really cause it while expecting.
LIST OF FOODS TO AVOIDING DURING PREGNANCY
- Uncooked or raw meats
- Raw Eggs
- Unpasteurized fruit and veggie juices
- Smoked and grilled meats
- Unpasteurized dairy products
- Raw sprouts
- Packed meats
- Blue-veined cheese
- Spreads made out of cheese or meat
- Undercooked Poultry and seafoods
FOOD POISONING WHILE GESTATING: PREVENTION
Nothing is inexorable, so do the food poisoning in pregnancy. You can easily prevent the hazardous outcomes caused by virtue of it, by approaching these following methods and also with minimum effort.
Thus, continue reading to discover.
HOW TO PREVENT FOOD POISONING IN PREGNANCY
- Clean the vegetables and fruits thoroughly before you cook or eat them directly.
- Stay steer clear of eating unpasteurized eatables and only eat properly cooked foods.
- Instead of unpasteurized dairy products, only have pasteurized ones.
- Wash your hands with soap before and after your preps.
- Ward off touching of raw meats with the foods your off to intake raw.
- Get into a habit of preparing your eats with enough temperature in order to kill germs.
- Be mindful to cleanse knives, chop boards and utensils before and after cutting or preparing meals.
- Remember to keep to keep perishable foods refrigerated or frozen.
- Be mindful to refrigerate the leftovers ASAP.
- Circumvent canned and packed meats as much as you can.
- Give due attention to expiration dates.
But for, these safety measures, remember to keep the unsafe-to-eat foods miles away until the baby is born, in order to circumvent food poisoning during pregnancy.
LIST FOODS TO AVOID
These are the danger foods for pregnancy.
CHEESE BASED FOODS
Eschew the eating of mould ripened softs cheeses including brie, camembert and chevre. Also avoid blue veined cheeses holding Danish blue and other unpasteurized dairy products.
MEAT BASED FOODS
Shun eating improperly cooked deli meats, premade chicken, seafoods, salads made from deli. Also be conscious to ban having raw meat, poultry, fish and shellfish.
Do not eat smoked meat unless heated up to 165 degrees.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Avoid fresh yet unwashed vegetables and fruits, unpasteurized fruit juices and cider, ready to eat salad got touched with raw meat, and uncooked root vegetables including radish, carrot, arum etc.
FOOD BASED ON RAW EGGS
Runny eggs, eggnog, homemade ice cream, smoothies, milk shakes, Caesar salad, homemade mayonnaise are to be avoided during pregnancy.
Although these foods are safe to most of the population but you’ve to avoid them no matter what the circumstances be.
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE MORNING SICKNESS AND FOOD POISONING?
It’s always been a query that how food poisoning and morning sickness differ form each other since they barely get differentiated through their corresponding symptoms.
Since you know, morning sickness is quite common and also is an early pregnancy symptom which is harmless. While on the other hand, food poisoning might be threatening for motherhood.
Thus, needs to get recognized and should not get confused at all.
Referring to signs, both morning sickness and food poisoning share some mutual symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness and nausea.
But food poisoning also holds signs like gastrointestinal discomfort, high fever, neurological problems while morning sickness may bear a heightened sense of smell and taste, mood swings, excess saliva and backaches.
SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Food poisoning during pregnancy what to do?
The best thing you can do in food poisoning during pregnancy is informing your doc right away. Some food poisonings are harmless, still some other can lead to terrible outcomes like preterm labor, stillbirth, low birth weight or even miscarriage. Other than that, it causes dehydrated, so the top next best thing to perform is keeping yourself well hydrated.
Can food poisoning during pregnancy affect the baby?
Yes, contamination of foods can affect the baby as food poisoning affiliated with listeria, salmonella and campylobacter can cause miscarriage. Outside of that, it may even lead to preterm labor, early infection on the baby, and low birth weight.
Can you have food poisoning without vomiting?
Most often, people having food poisoning show symptoms including chills, upset stomach, diarrhea, headache and of course vomiting. However, listeriosis- a type of food poisoning can cause no symptoms at all. Thus, requires medical diagnosis.
How long does food poisoning last?
There is no set of number or dates to be truthful upon. Basically, the signs of food poisoning may start with in few hours of eating contaminated food or even in days. Moreover, the troublesome heath aversions may last start from few hours of eating of contaminated foods to some days again.
IN SUMMERY
All is said ands all is done. So, all in all this article ends here. I do appreciate that you are still tuning in and it makes me feel outstandingly good.
I also hope that you came to know a lot about food poisoning during pregnancy.
Have you any questions regarding to this topic? Well, you can comment them down in the giant comment box below (scroll a littler and there you go easily found it!!)
All at the end, pregarlybody wishes you a heathy pregnancy ahead.
