I decided to write about diseases that can cause serious illness, and even kill, pregnant women and their babies because I have a friend that recently became pregnant. How exciting for her!  Since I’m a public health major, she asked me the “does and don’ts,” so I decided to put together some information for all those who are interested.  There is so much information that I’ve decided to break it down into a series. Here goes part one! Stay tuned for more info and tips on how to have a safe, happy pregnancy!

First off, all women that are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant NEED TO READ THIS! There are so many preventable diseases that plague women and their babies every year that cause deformities, disabilities, and death. With the right information, a women can greatly reduce the risk of having complications during pregnancy. Here are a few things that I have learned while studying public health.

*Listeriosis*

• Listeriosis is a potentially fatal food borne bacterial illness that can cause septicemia (infection of the blood) and/or meningoencephalitis (infection and inflammation of the brain) in newborns and adults, and fever and miscarriage in pregnant women.
• Around 2,500 people become seriously ill, and 500 die from Listeriosis in the U.S. each year. That’s a crazy amount since this illness is treatable with antibiotics if caught in time! If you or a pregnant woman you know have a fever, go see your physician!
• Who is at the greatest risk of getting Listeriosis? You and your baby! Case-fatality rate in newborns is 30% and approaches 50% when onset occurs in the first 4 days.  This is an organism that can be transmitted from the mother to her unborn fetus in the uterus or during passage through the birth canal.
• Signs and symptoms can take days or weeks to appear and may include fever, chills, achy muscles, nausea, and diarrhea. If the infection spreads to the nervous system, then headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, poor balance, or convulsions may occur.
• Don’t let yourself or your child become a statistic! Pay attention to these ways to reduce your risk of getting this disease and possibly transmitting it to your baby.
  • Keep your distance from domestic and wild animals and birds
  • Avoid all contact with dairy animals. (Yes, it may be fun to take your two year old to a petting zoo, but is it worth the risk? Stay away while pregnant)!
  • Don’t eat soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, and Mexican style cheeses
  • Cook leftover foods and meats such as hot dogs until steaming hot (haha, the last thing you’re probably going to want while experiencing morning sickness is a hot dog!)
  • Avoid deli meats (yes this means subway) and eat only properly cooked meats and pasteurized dairy products. If you do want  to enjoy a subway sandwich, get it hot!
  • Wash all veggies thoroughly before eating, and avoid the use of untreated animal manure on gardens

Interested in Learning more about maternal health? Stay tuned for my next post on this subject on Feb 15! Visit again for posts on other fun subjects such as beauty tips, fat burning exercises, and tasty, healthy recipes.

*For more information on Listeriosis, check out http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM079778.pdf

*The information for this article came from Dr. Eugene Cole, a professor at Brigham Young University, and the FDA website.