What Are the Dangers of Smoked Meat During Pregnancy?
- Pregnancy food dangersWaiting image by Kristin Skipper from Fotolia.com
When a woman is pregnant, there are several foods that a she should avoid to protect her own health and the health of her unborn child. In addition to raw fish (sushi); tuna; soft, unpasteurized cheeses; alcohol; caffeine and any unpasteurized juices or other products; women should also avoid smoked and cured meats. These meats tend to have higher incidents of E. coli and listeria, which can be very harmful to both the mother and fetus and cause serious illness. - Smoked meatscollage: smoked meat, bread, chicken and vegetable image by Igor Murtazin from Fotolia.com
Deli meats and smoked meats--such as turkey, roast beef, bologna, salami, etc.--are various types of meats that should be avoided as much as possible during pregnancy. Many deli meats contain high levels of nitrates and preservatives to keep them fresh. These chemicals can lead to various complications in the pregnancy, including birth defects and developmental delays in the baby later on in life.
Smoked meats--such as lox, other fish, venison or beef--are particularly dangerous because even though they are cooked, contamination of the meat could have occurred before or after the meat was smoked. Contamination occurs when the meat is infected with bacteria, which can make the person eating it extremely sick. Any infection during pregnancy makes the unborn child extremely susceptible to brain and cognitive delays and problems, which can effect learning abilities, vision and speech. - Bacteria, such as E. coli and listeriabacteria image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
Smoked meats and deli meats have a high chance of being infected with listeria or E. coli bacteria. Both forms of bacteria are caused by under cooking the meats and processed foods. These can cross through the placenta and cause both mother and baby to have flu-like symptoms including nausea and fever. If the infection worsens, it can cause the mother to become disoriented and can lead to convulsions and stiffness throughout the body. Pregnant women are particularly at risk because their immune systems are depleted throughout pregnancy, especially during the last trimester (months six through nine of pregnancy). Pregnant women aren't as able to fight off possible infections as they would when they are not pregnant. - Deli sandwichham sandwich image by Bruce Shippee from Fotolia.com
Eating smoked meats can cause infections in both the mother and baby and lead to major complications in the pregnancy--including pre-term birth or miscarriage. They can also lead to birth defects in your unborn child. The birth defects most commonly associated with eating smoked meats are associated with digestion issues and allergies in your child. These effects may present themselves initially, or take a few years to show up. It may not be entirely possible to avoid these foods throughout pregnancy, but you should certainly limit yourself in consuming them.
