Food Poisoning and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very sensitive and precious stage of a woman's life. To get good nourishment to the developing embryo mother needs to eat healthy and nutritious food. A pregnant woman should take care of her diet; otherwise, it will harm her as well as the developing fetus.

Food poisoning is a common health problem, which is caused after consumption of unhygienic food. Every time eating outside food does not cause food poisoning but if you eat unhygienic food at home, it will be harmful to your health. Therefore, a pregnant woman should be very careful about her regular diet.

First three months of pregnancy are very important for normal growth of fetus. Any harmful effect can affect the fetus seriously. Food poisoning in first three months of pregnancy may lead to miscarriage or abnormal development of the fetus. Therefore, the best way is to maintain balanced diet to remain fit and healthy.

There are some common bacertia, which causes food poisoning. So let us take more information about them.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii is a harmful parasite, which causes toxoplasmosis. This parasite is included in protozoa. Infection of Toxoplasma gondii causes body aches, inflammation of lymph nodes, and sometimes damages the eyes. Infection of parasite is difficult to recognize at initial level.

This parasite is mainly present in the soil or on any object contaminated by parasite. If the food is poisoned by this parasite, then the pregnant woman shows flu like symptoms. Sever food poisoning can spread the symptoms to her child also. Food poisoning may cause early delivery, or miscarriage or abnormalities in child development.

Listeriosis

Food poisoned by Listeria monocytogenes is very harmful for pregnant woman's health. These bacteria are mainly present in water and soil. Infected vegetables, fruits and uncooked meat, poultry and seafood causes food poisoning.

After food poisoning, symptoms are seen for thirty days or sometimes for more than a month of bacterial infection. Food poisoning causes headache, loss of balance of the body, fever, and muscle ache. Severe food poisoning shows symptoms like meningitis and brain stroke. In pregnancy period a woman catches infections easily as compared to others, therefore proper care is required to keep away from infections and food poisoning.

Botulism

Most of the time, the food gets poisoned by botulism. A pregnant woman shows flu-like symptoms after food poisoning. It creates problem during childbirth. Still no side effects are found on the developing fetus.

Prevention of food poisoning

A Pregnant woman needs lot of precaution and care. If health of a pregnant woman is good, then directly it will reflect the health of a fetus. Care while handling and eating food will avoid complications of food poisoning.