What can I do to protect my baby from Listeriosis?
Following these guidelines can greatly reduce your chances of contracting Listeriosis. Eat hard cheeses instead of soft cheeses. The CDC has recommended that pregnant women avoid soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses and Mexican style cheeses such as queso fresco, queso blanco and Panela. Hard cheeses such as cheddar and semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella are safe to consume. Pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads such as cream cheese and cottage cheese can also be safely consumed. The most important thing to do is to read the labels! Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats or deli meats unless they are properly reheated. Eating out at certain restaurants that provide deli meat sandwiches such as Subway is not recommended for pregnant women since they do not reheat their deli meats. Therefore Subway recommends that pregnant women eat the following non-luncheon meat items such as meatball, steak & cheese, roasted chicken, seafood & crab and tuna (limit 2
