Is it true that pregnant women are more vulnerable to food poisoning?
Yes, pregnancy-associated changes in immune function place expectant mothers at greater risk for certain types of food-borne illness. Listeriosis risk (from the bacterium L. monocytogenes) increases 17-fold during pregnancy. To prevent infection, pregnant women are urged to avoid cold smoked fish, including lox, and soft cheeses like brie and feta. Harder cheeses like cheddar and mozzarella are not dangerous. It is also important to avoid hot dogs and lunchmeats as well unless they are reheated to steaming hot (165 degrees) to ensure the bacterium is destroyed. Secondly, although pregnant women are no more susceptible to salmonella infection than most healthy adults, if exposed to the bacteria, the mother can pass it to the baby, causing serious problems. For this reason, pregnant women are advised to only eat dairy products that have been pasteurized and to avoid eating foods with eggs that are raw or undercooked (white and yolk should both be firm). Finally, changes in immune functio
