Foods to Avoid While Pregnant
When you are pregnant, there are many things that you should do to maintain your health and that of your baby. Exercise, rest, and healthy eating are all key components of pregnant woman’s life. However, as part of your quest to ensure that you have contributed all you can to a healthy baby, you should know that there are some foods to avoid while you’re expecting.
Foods that Can Carry Disease
The main thing to worry about is consuming a food product that carries disease. Food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses can make a mother violently ill, which can transfer to her unborn baby. Thus, you should watch out for unsafe foods such as:
- Uncooked or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs
- Raw, undercooked, or contaminated seafood (shellfish, smoked but uncooked fish, etc.)
- Refrigerated meats (pate, spreads, deli meat, etc.)
- Unpasteurized milk and milk products, like cheeses
- Unpasteurized juices
- Unwashed fruits and vegetables
- Raw sprouts
Mercury Poisoning
While many doctors recommend eating fish to aid in fetal brain development, you also need to be aware of mercury poisoning. Eating fish and other seafood that is high in mercury can lead to birth defects such as developmental disorders. You should completely avoid grouper, swordfish, and king mackerel, among others. However, salmon, tilapia, and several other fish are generally safe.
Other Things to Consider
Moms-to-be may also want to stay away from high amounts of liver, caffeine, herbal tea, and alcohol. Liver is high in vitamin A, too much of which can lead to birth defects. Caffeine can cross the placenta and increase your baby’s heart rate, leading to a smaller birth weight and possible miscarriage or stillbirth. Some herbal teas, such as red raspberry leaf, may start early contractions, so check with your doctor about safe teas. Lastly, alcohol has been clearly proven to cause severe birth defects and even death.
Contact Us
When you are trying to stay healthy for your baby, you should talk to your doctor about the risks associated with certain foods. If he or she fails to inform you of foods to avoid, it can lead to birth defects and other problems with your baby. For more information on birth injuries, contact the Philadelphia birth injury lawyer of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., today by calling 215-238-1130.