When you confirm the news about getting pregnant for the very first time, needless to say, there will be grand celebrations and an incessant stream of wishes that will pour in. Your entire house will echo with talks only surrounding the arrival of your little one. The financial planning, the baby name choices, and the room décor, you’ll be overwhelmed with the long list of things that need to be taken care of before bringing your bundle of joy home. In the midst of all the excitement and clamor, you will also be constantly warned about the right activities and diet that you need to follow to ensure a healthy pregnancy. While some foods are known to contribute to your baby’s well-being, some can pose serious dangers to the health of the fetus and must be avoided. Here is a list of the top seven foods that can cause miscarriage during early pregnancy:
Raw Eggs –Eggs are one of the best breakfast staples in a pregnant woman’s diet, but raw or undercooked eggs can play havoc your with health as well as your baby’s. Recipes made using raw eggs such as smoothies, homemade mayonnaise, soufflés, and mousses may contain salmonella. These bacteria can cause food poisoning, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and even miscarriage. Make sure to cook your eggs properly until both, the egg white and yolk become solid.
Soft Cheese –Planning to attend a wine and cheese affair during your pregnancy? You may sadly have to take a pass at both the cheese and the wine. Soft cheese varieties like Gorgonzola, Brie, Roquefort and feta could be carriers of listeria bacteria. According to the US Department of Agriculture, listeria infection can lead to miscarriage and can increase the risk of premature delivery and stillbirth.
Undercooked Or Raw Meat –Raw meat might be the least bit appetizing for you, and you might even shun away the concerns surrounding it. You must, however, be cautious before indulging in certain foods like minced meat, sausages, salami, and pepperoni. Make sure to properly cook the meat before eating it. Raw meat may contain toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis, which can in turn lead to miscarriage.
Unpasteurized Milk –Your doctor may have emphasized on the importance of drinking that daily glass of milk to contribute to the improved bone health of you and your baby. If your milk is unpasteurized, however, it could do you more harm than good. Unpasteurized milk may contain listeria, which can put you at an increased risk of miscarriage. It is always a good idea to boil even pasteurized milk before drinking it.
Liver –Pregnancy is not the time you should experiment too much with your palate. Liver or foods containing liver such as liver sausage, haggis, and liver paté contain vitamin A, a teratogen that can disturb the development of the fetus. Too much vitamin A can damage the cell development in the fetus, resulting in conditions like hydrocephalus, urinary tract malformations, and spina bifida. The impact of the damage occurs mostly during the first trimester.
Green Papaya –It is highly important to enrich your pregnancy diet with nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. You must, however, be careful about certain fruits like unripe papaya that can be dangerous and may even lead to miscarriage, according to a study conducted by the British Journal of Nutrition. The study reports that the risk is due to a result of the high concentration of latex in unripe papayas that can cause uterine contractions and miscarriage. You can, however, include ripe papayas in your diet as they don’t contain toxic latex in high quantities.
Certain Varieties Of Fish –Though some varieties of fish, especially white fish, cooked shellfish, and oily fish are great for you and your unborn fetus, some you should avoid completely. Fish like swordfish, shark and tilefish contain high levels of mercury that can damage the fetus’ brain. You can eat shellfish as long as you cook it properly. Shellfish like lobster, oyster, prawns, shrimps, mussels, crabs, etc. could contain harmful bacteria and viruses that can lead to food poisoning and miscarriage if eaten raw. If you want to eat sushi, make sure to freeze it first. Freezing can kill the parasites in the raw fish contained in the sushi.
In addition to the foods mentioned above, make sure to avoid excess caffeine (not more than 200 mg per day) as it could increase the chances of low birth weight of the fetus and miscarriage. By all means, abstain from smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Drink plenty of water and maintain excellent culinary hygiene by washing all the fruits and vegetables well before eating them. Remember that a certain word of caution now is sure to promise you a lifetime of happiness!
