How Can I Avoid Food Poisoning During Pregnancy?

You can avoid food poisoning during pregnancy by:

• not eating some foods – see foods to avoid during pregnancy
• washing your hands before handling food
• thoroughly washing all fruit and vegetables, including prepared salads, before eating
• washing your hands, all surfaces and utensils after preparing raw meat
• thoroughly cooking raw meat so there is no trace of pink or blood
• heating ready meals (*pre-packaged meals) until they are piping hot all the way through – this is especially important for meals containing poultry
• keeping leftovers covered in the fridge and using them within 2 days
• eating food before it has passed its “use by” date
• preventing cross-contamination (when harmful bacteria is spread between food, surfaces and equipment)

There are several types of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. These include:

• salmonella
• campylobacter
• listeria

Salmonella

Salmonella is found in:

• raw meat and poultry
• unpasteurised milk
• raw eggs and raw egg products

Although salmonella food poisoning is unlikely to harm your baby, it can cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

To reduce your risk of salmonella infection:

• choose British Lion Code of Practice eggs (in the UK) if you want to have raw or partially cooked eggs – these eggs have a red lion logo stamped on their shell and are considered safe to eat runny
• avoid raw or partially cooked eggs that are not part of the lion code, and avoid food that may contain them, such as homemade mayonnaise – cook these eggs until the whites and yolks are solid
• avoid raw or partially cooked meat, especially poultry

Campylobacter

Campylobacter is found in:

• raw and undercooked meat, especially poultry
• unpasteurised milk
• untreated water

You can reduce your risk of campylobacter infection by:

• washing your hands thoroughly before preparing and eating food, and after handling raw food
• not washing raw poultry
• keeping cooked food away from raw food
• cooking food thoroughly, especially meat and poultry, so it’s piping hot
• keeping all kitchen surfaces and equipment clean, such as chopping boards and dish cloths
• not drinking untreated water from lakes, rivers or streams

Listeria

Listeria can cause an infection called listeriosis. Although the infection is rare, even a mild form of listeriosis in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in newborn babies.

Listeria can be found in unpasteurised milk and in many chilled foods, including:

• pâté
• mould-ripened soft cheeses and soft blue-veined cheeses
• cooked sliced meats
• smoked salmon

You can reduce your risk of listeriosis by:

• not eating certain foods while pregnant, such as some soft cheeses and all types of pâté – see foods to avoid during pregnancy
• not drinking unpasteurised milk – only drink pasteurised or UHT milk
• heating ready meals or reheated food until they’re piping hot all the way through
• making sure your fridge is set at 5C or below and working correctly
• not using food after its “use by” date

Read the answers to more questions about pregnancy.

Further information:

• Why can’t I eat soft cheeses during pregnancy?
• Should I limit caffeine during pregnancy?
• Listeriosis
• Food safety
• Have a healthy diet in pregnancy
• Foods to avoid during pregnancy

 

Editor’s Note:

* Clarification Provided for our U.S. Readers

Nicotine Poisoning: How to Keep Your Child Safe

Congratulations, you have quit smoking. It is a huge step that can add years to your life and give you more time to spend with the ones you love. While quitting smoking is not an easy task, there is a whole industry now providing the products used to replace cigarettes called NRT or Nicotine Replacement Therapy. The most common items used to replace smoking are nicotine gum, the nicotine patch, and now the world has been introduced to the e-cigarette or vape.

The most common way children are exposed to nicotine and experience a reaction is direct exposure to nicotine they find around the house.

It goes without saying that anything left out, the kids will find, and that holds true in this case too. Kids will find a pack of gum and chew it or they will find a patch and use their bare hands to remove it from its applicator absorbing the nicotine through their skin. In a growing number of cases now, children are finding the liquid that is put into the vaporizers or e-cigarettes and drinking it because it looks like juice. In all of these examples the child gets exposed to nicotine and can have a reaction.

Nicotine poisoning tends to produce symptoms that follow a pattern. Nicotine poisoning symptoms are caused by extreme stimulation of nicotine in the central and autonomous system and the neuromuscular junction. At lower doses, nicotine causes stimulating effects on the receptors present there but at higher doses or more sustained exposure, the effects are inhibitory and can lead to neuromuscular problems.

The first symptoms are usually the result of the stimulating nature of nicotine. These include:

• vomiting
• hypertension
• headaches
• excessive salivation
• seizures

After the first phase of symptoms, other symptoms caused by the depressor effects of nicotine follows. These include:

• muscular weakness
• central nervous system depression
• paralysis
• coma
• labored breathing
• respiratory failure

Exposure to electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine is also quickly becoming a major issue. In 2014, more than 50 percent of nicotine poisoning cases occurred in children under the age of 6. Children and toddlers who come in contact with e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine become very ill very quickly and they exhibit all the symptoms. It is harmful to them and adults should be extremely careful where they keep or place these products.

According to Medline, nicotine overdose may present many potential symptoms. These can include:

• Nausea and abdominal pain
• Cramping
• Restlessness or agitation
• Irregular breathing – either rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
• Convulsions
• Confusion
• Drooling
• Burning sensation in the mouth
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Fainting

In severe cases, the person may stop breathing. Seizures and coma have also been reported.

If you find your child with any of these symptoms and believe they have ingested nicotine please take them to the emergency room right away or call 911 and get professional help. In the case that your child presents with irregular breathing or any type of altered mental status, please call 911 first.

While we all congratulate you for taking the steps to quit smoking, please be cognizant of the new items that you are using, where you keep those items, and the risk they can pose to your family.

Thank you and please be safe.

Greg

Video: How to Protect Young Children from Poisoning

In this 2-minute video, Katrina Phillips of the Child Accident Prevention Trust talks about what you can do to protect your child from poisoning.

https://youtu.be/yWHCJJR8ykA

 

Editor’s Note: Video Highlights

• The most common culprit for child poisoning is everyday painkillers
  • It’s important to put them somewhere where a small child can’t be tempted by the bright colors and where they can’t reach them
• The other common cause of poisoning for young children is household cleaning products
• Note that child safety caps on medicines and cleaning products can slow young children getting them open, but they’re not actually childproof
  • Some three and four year-olds can open those caps in seconds, so it’s important not to rely on child safety caps to keep young children safe from poisoning
• There are other things around your home that you wouldn’t suspect could be poisonous to small children but are – including:
  • Perfume on your dressing table
  • Aromatherapy oils that you might have in your bathroom
  • Small amounts of alcohol, like the dregs left in the bottom of a glass
• You need to think about what might be harmful to a small child and put it somewhere where they can’t see it and where they can’t reach it
• Also, get your gas appliances serviced every year – and fit a carbon-monoxide alarm that will sound a warning if levels of the poisonous gas are too high in your home
• Finally, if you think your child has swallowed something poisonous, it’s important to get immediate medical advice and help

Watch Out Parents – That’s Not Candy!

When it comes to cleaning our homes, I am assuming that we all do it or have it done at some point. Have you ever stopped to think about not only what you are cleaning with but also what it looks like or smells like to a child? Candy!!

Everything in our home requires some kind of cleaner, from the carpet and tile to the dishes and pets. It is no secret that companies go to great lengths to attract people to buy their products and the use of bright colors and fruity smells are just some of the tactics commonly used in these campaigns. While the color of your cleaner is of no consequence to you, it may be very attractive to a child. Common cleaning liquids used for mopping are easily mistaken for juice if left unlocked or unattended. The little gel packs used for things like dish washers and clothes washing machines are very easily mistaken for candy. The pellets placed in your garbage disposal to make it smell better, if left unlocked or unattended can easily be swallowed. The list of household cleaning chemicals and their colors is endless.

The most important things to remember are that:

• All chemicals should be locked and secured when not being used.
• You should know the number for poison control by memory: 1-800-222-1222…and
• When in doubt, do not hesitate and call 911.

Thank You and Be Safe.

Is The Food in Your House Safe to Feed Your Family?

Food poisoning is a real issue in American households and restaurants. It is estimated that 48 million food-borne illnesses are reported each year. That is pretty staggering when you think that the entire population of the United States is 318 million – 15% of the population is affected each and every year! Infants, children, the elderly and those that are already sick are the most vulnerable. We would be remiss if we did not discuss the basics in food safety.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics along with ConAgra Foods has put together an excellent website on food safety. They have put food safety basics in 4 categories: WASH, SEPARATE, COOK & REFRIGERATE.

WASH
This includes cleaning your hands, your food items and all food preparation surfaces.

SEPARATE
Be sure to keep all raw meat, poultry and fish separate from other food until it is ready to cook.

COOK
Make sure all foods are cooked to a proper temperatures . Also make sure any leftovers are reheated to at least 165 degrees.

REFRIGERATE
Refrigerate leftovers immediately in shallow containers to below 45 degrees. Do not keep leftovers beyond the suggestion times.

When cooking with your kids and teenagers, be sure to teach them food safety. Learn more details of each of these areas of WASH, SEPARATE, COOK & REFERIGERATE on the Home Food Safety website.

Administering Pediatric Safety for Childhood Emergencies

Editor’s Note: While we would love to take credit for all the terrific information included in this post …(and of course are incredibly flattered that our name appears in the title)…in truth, we had nothing to do with the creation of this wonderful infographic. All credit (along with our thanks) goes to Adams Safety Training.

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