Study on Caffeine and Miscarriages and What Else Not To Eat!
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Science Daily sited a study that was released to the public yesterday. There goes your lovely quiet moment of sipping your coffee, hot chocolate or popping a few of those yummy Hershey kisses.
Here is a summary of the study:
Women who consumed 200 mg or more of caffeine per day (two or more
cups of regular coffee or five 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda) had
twice the miscarriage risk as women who consumed no caffeine, {the study said}.
Women who consumed less than 200 mg of caffeine daily had more than 40
percent increased risk of miscarriage. The increased risk of miscarriage appeared to be due to the caffeine
itself, rather than other possible chemicals in coffee because caffeine
intake from non-coffee sources such as caffeinated soda, tea and hot
chocolate showed a similar increased risk of miscarriage…….The reasons that caffeine can harm a fetus have been suspected for
some time. Caffeine crosses through the placenta to the fetus, but can
be difficult for the fetus to metabolize because of the under-developed
metabolic system. Caffeine also may influence cell development and
decrease placental blood flow, which may lead to an adverse effect on
fetal development.
Which fish are unsafe to eat in pregnancy? What risks do soft cheeses and ready-to-eat meats pose?
On that note, I wondered what else was on the "DON’T CONSUME" list. Had things changed over the last couple of years? I do remember some of the items while I was pregnant with Birch, but there were others that I blithely ignored (the smoked fish, occasional goat cheese for example). Not very smart of me, really. So, I thought I would get smart and go back to the good ol’ March of Dimes website which is an authority on care for pregnant women and newborns. And, of course they had a very comprehensive list with a full explanation for each "no no". For those of you to whom reason appeals, the below explanatory list might help you to avoid the DON’T CONSUME foods. I think if I had had been told why I couldn’t eat smoked fish, I might not have. Then again it has been said by Papa Tree I don’t like to be told what to do…bet there others of you out there like that too!
Fish
provides plenty of protein and some vitamins and is low in fat. For
these reasons, many types of fish are good choices for a healthy diet. Mercury is a metal that is present naturally in the environment. It
can be released into the air through industrial pollution. When mercury
settles into bodies of water, bacteria convert it into a more dangerous
form (methylmercury) that accumulates in the fatty tissues of fish.
While trace amounts of mercury are present in nearly all types of fish,
it builds up most in large predatory fish, such as swordfish and sharks. Pregnant women should not eat fish that can be high in mercury, like
shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish (1). They can eat up to 12
ounces a week of fish that have small amounts of mercury, including
shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish and canned light tuna. Women
should eat no more than 6 ounces of albacore (white) tuna in one
week. By following these guidelines, a pregnant woman can obtain the
health benefits of eating fish, while reducing her baby’s exposure to
mercury. High levels of mercury can harm an unborn baby or a young
child’s developing nervous system. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), women who are pregnant or who
are planning pregnancy should avoid eating game fish without first
checking its safety with their local health department (1). A game fish
is any fish caught for sport, such as trout, salmon or bass. Most
states issue fish advisories warning the public of mercury
contamination. This information is also available from the Environmental Protection Agency. Some game fish may be contaminated by other industrial pollutants,
such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Some studies suggest that
exposure to high levels of PCBs before birth may contribute to learning
problems, decreased IQ and reduced birthweight (2). Pregnant
women should make sure all fish they eat is thoroughly cooked to kill
any disease-causing bacteria or parasites. Fish should be cooked until
it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, or a food thermometer
measures an internal temperature of at least 145° F. A pregnant woman
should avoid sushi and other raw fish, especially shellfish (oysters,
clams). These can be polluted by raw sewage and can contain harmful
microbes that can lead to severe gastrointestinal illness.
Certain
soft cheeses, ready-to-eat meats (including packaged luncheon meats and
deli meats) and unpasteurized milk (and products made from it) can
cause a form of food poisoning called listeriosis. Listeriosis is
caused by a bacterium (Listeria monocytogenes) and is especially dangerous during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman is infected with listeriosis, she may have a miscarriage, premature delivery or stillbirth, or her newborn baby may become seriously ill and may die. Most people do not become ill when they eat Listeria-contaminated
foods. However, pregnant women are more likely than other healthy
adults to get listeriosis and more likely to become dangerously ill
from it. Listeriosis often starts with a flu-like illness with fever,
muscle aches, chills and, sometimes, nausea or diarrhea. However, it
can progress to a potentially life-threatening meningitis (infection of
the membranes covering the brain, with symptoms such as severe headache
and stiff neck) and blood infection. A pregnant woman should
contact her health care provider if she develops any of these symptoms.
A blood test can show if she has listeriosis. If she does, she can be
treated with antibiotics that sometimes prevent fetal infections that
could result in miscarriage and stillbirth. Do not eat hot dogs or luncheon meats (including deli meats such as
ham, turkey, salami, bologna) unless they are reheated until steaming
hot. Avoid soft cheeses, such as feta, brie, Camembert, Roquefort,
blue-veined, queso blanco, queso fresco or Panela, unless the cheese is
labeled as made with pasteurized milk. Hard cheeses, processed cheeses,
cream cheeses, and cottage cheeses are safe. Do not eat refrigerated pates or meat spreads. (Listeria thrives at refrigerator temperatures.) Canned and shelf-stable versions are safe. Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it has been cooked (as in
a casserole). Canned and shelf-stable versions can be eaten safely.
Is it safe to consume raw sprouts and unpasteurized juices?
Raw
vegetable sprouts (including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean) and
fresh, unpasteurized fruit and vegetable juices are loaded with
vitamins. Unfortunately, they can carry disease-causing bacteria (such
as Salmonella and E. coli), making them unsafe choices for pregnant women (4). In healthy adults, Salmonella and E. coli infections
generally cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramping and fever that
lasts for several days. However, pregnant women can sometimes become
seriously ill from these infections. Occasionally, a pregnant woman can
pass a Salmonella or E. coli infection on to her fetus, who can develop
diarrhea, fever and, less frequently, meningitis after birth. A pregnant woman should drink only pasteurized juices. The FDA
requires that packaged unpasteurized juices carry a label stating that
they are not pasteurized (4).
Is it risky to eat undercooked meat, poultry or eggs during pregnancy?
Lean
meats, poultry and eggs are rich in protein and some vitamins and are
an important part of a healthy diet. However, pregnant women should
avoid eating raw or undercooked meats, poultry and eggs because they
can increase their risk of a number of food-borne illnesses (including
listeriosis, E. coli and Campylobacter infections, salmonellosis and toxoplasmosis). Toxoplasmosis is
a parasitic infection that often causes no symptoms or only mild
flu-like symptoms. However, if a pregnant woman contracts it, there’s
about a 50 percent chance she will pass it on to her unborn baby (5).
Some affected babies develop vision and hearing loss, mental
retardation, seizures and other problems. When toxoplasmosis is
diagnosed during pregnancy, antibiotic treatment often can help reduce
the severity of symptoms in the newborn. Besides undercooked meats,
another common cause of toxoplasmosis is contact with cat feces. A
pregnant woman always should have someone else clean the litter box.
Eggs, which can be contaminated with Salmonella,
should be cooked until both the yolk and white are firm. Pregnant women
should avoid foods made with raw or partially cooked eggs, like egg nog
and hollandaise sauce.
Should a pregnant woman eat liver?
There
is some concern about consuming liver during pregnancy. Liver is a good
source of protein and is rich in certain vitamins and minerals. These
include:
However,
in the case of vitamin A, liver may contain too much of a good thing.
Some studies suggest that high doses of vitamin A may cause birth
defects. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A per day for pregnant women is
2,565 IU (international units) (6). A 1995 study found that women who
took more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A daily (nearly four times the
amount recommended by the IOM) in the first two months of pregnancy had
more than double the risk of having a baby with birth defects (7).
Other studies have suggested that doses under 30,000 IU daily probably
do not cause birth defects, but the lowest dose that may cause birth
defects is unknown (8).
The body is able to make its own vitamin
A, when needed, from substances such as beta carotene, which is found
in yellow and green vegetables. This raw material for the vitamin is
considered completely safe and healthy during pregnancy. However, much
of the vitamin A we consume is the preformed vitamin (retinol) which,
in excessive amounts, may cause birth defects. Preformed vitamin A is
found in many vitamin supplements and some foods, including meats,
eggs, dairy products and fortified breakfast cereals. Liver is
the only food that provides very high amounts of vitamin A. The amount
of vitamin A found in liver varies. For example, a 3-ounce serving of
beef liver may contain 27,000 IU and chicken liver, 12,000 IU (8). A
pregnant woman who eats liver regularly may consume enough vitamin A to
pose a risk to her baby. Though it is not proven that eating
liver causes birth defects, the safest approach is for pregnant women
to minimize their consumption of liver. A pregnant woman also should be
sure that her multivitamin or prenatal supplement contains no more than
5,000 IU (international units) of preformed vitamin A (some prenatal
vitamins contain no preformed vitamin A, substituting beta-carotene or
omitting vitamin A entirely), and she should not take any vitamin A
supplements beyond that amount (9).
What safe food handling practices can help prevent food poisoning?
refrigerator is 40 degrees F. or below, and the freezer 0 degrees F. or
below..
