FERTILITY PROBLEMS: INFECTIONS TO BE AVOIDED ONCE YOU ARE PREGNANT
Listeria
Listeria is a bacterium that is present in animals and soil. In men and non-pregnant women the infection is mild but in pregnant women it can cause a late miscarriage. To avoid listeria, do not eat soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert and blue-veined cheeses, meat pates, undercooked meat, ready-to-eat poultry (unless thoroughly reheated), soft whipped ice creams that come out of machines, unpasteurised dairy products and ready-prepared salads in sealed bags.
Salmonella
One of the commonest causes of food poisoning, salmonella can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting. It does not seem to harm the developing baby but a fever accompanying the salmonella may cause a miscarriage. Make sure that all poultry and eggs are thoroughly cooked and avoid eating anything that contains raw eggs (like mayonnaise).
Tips to avoid food poisoning
• Wash hands before preparing food and in between handling raw and cooked food.
• Keep worktops clean, and wash chopping boards as you go.
• Wash utensils used for raw foods before they are used on other food.
• Keep the temperature in your fridge lower than 5°C and the freezer below -18°C.
• Prepare and store raw and cooked food separately.
• Keep pets away from food.
• Do not prepare food for other people if you have any symptoms of food poisoning.
• Don’t overfill the fridge, as this can stop air circulating which could increase the temperature inside.
• Put leftovers back in the fridge as soon as possible but wait until they cool down.
• If using leftovers, heat through properly.
• Thoroughly cook meat and poultry so there are no pink bits.
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