Is It Safe To Eat Deli Meats When I’m Pregnant?
Deli meats are the precooked meat like ham, salami, bologna, turkey and hot dogs. Usually these meats are not considered safe for the pregnant woman. Because such meats are known to contain certain germs and bacteria which may prove to be extremely harmful for the developing fetus as well as the mother.
What Is The Risk?
The biggest risk associated with deli meat is the chance of getting affected with listeriosis. Listeriosis is a form of food poisoning which is caused by the bacteria listeria monocytogenes, usually found in such deli meat. Listeriosis is very dangerous for the pregnant lady. The listeria bacteria can get easily transmitted through the birth canal thereby proving to be devastating for the baby.
The common symptoms of this disease are fever, muscle ache, gastrointestinal problems such as nausea or diarrhea. Though generally listeriosis shows flu-like symptoms, in pregnant women it can even lead to meningitis- a potentially life threatening disease where listeriosis spreads to the nervous system and causes severe headache, stiff neck, convulsions, loss of balance and even infections of the membranes covering the brain. Apart from that, blood infections also cannot be ruled out.
Needless to say, listeriosis can be hazardous to the developing fetus. Pregnant mothers suffering from listeriosis often lead to miscarriages, still birth, pre-term birth and infections in the newborn [even the newborn may be born with listeriosis]. To top it all, pregnant women are usually prone to get affected by listeriosis than a non-pregnant woman. This happens because in pregnant women their immunity system becomes more vulnerable than that of the non-pregnant woman. Thus, pregnant women need to be extra careful regarding their eating habits.
How To Be Safe?
Giving up deli meat completely during pregnancy is easier said than done. Also at times one may need to eat it out of emergency. Thus, it is important to take the safety precaution in such cases-
It is a known fact that bacteria cannot survive in high temperatures. Listeria thrives well at refrigerator temperatures. So if deli meat has to be eaten at all, it should be reheated to at least 165 degrees. In other words, the deli meat has to be steaming hot in order to make it safe for consumption by pregnant women. The high heat kills any bacteria that could be present in that meat thereby making its consumption comparatively safer.
One can always have alternative options to deli meat like sandwiches made with grilled chicken or fish. They taste good and are safe too.
Other than deli meat, there a number of other related food items which the pregnant woman should avoid like unpasteurized milk, uncooked poultry or soft cheese. These tend to carry the same bacteria as deli meat and hence are equally harmful. Also if one works with deli meat, then it is mandatory to wash hands properly after handling such meat.
