Cravings seem to be one of the signs that a woman is pregnant. Even so, pregnant women are often prohibited from consuming certain foods, such as raw foods such as fish, eggs, or meat. Not without reason, eating raw eggs during pregnancy is considered to be dangerous to the health of the mother and fetus in the womb. Is that true?
Is It Safe to Eat Raw Eggs While Pregnant?
Quoted from the Baby Center page , raw or half-cooked eggs can carry disease-causing organisms. For example, Salmonella bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Pregnant women are very susceptible to foodborne illnesses, because pregnancy can temporarily weaken the immune system.
It should be noted that exposure to Salmonella bacteria duringpregnancy can cause the risk of dehydration. If not treated properly, dehydration can cause premature birth, low amniotic fluid, and birth defects . Inaddition, in some cases, when pregnant women become very sick and the infection enters the bloodstream, it can cause sepsis or a life-threatening blood infection. There have been reports of premature births and miscarriages due to the disease.
In most cases, Salmonella bacteria have little or no effect on the fetus in the womb. Your baby is very well protected from getting sick in your stomach, even if you feel unwell. Very rarely, salmonella can cross the placenta and infect the fetus.
However, it is more likely to occur if the mother is still sick with the infection when giving birth. If the baby is exposed during delivery, the baby can become infected. Babies who are exposed to Salmonella at birth need immediate care because of their vulnerable immune systems.
Symptoms of Salmonella exposure from eating raw eggs during pregnancy include:
- Stomach ache
- Diarrhea
- Fever and chills
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dehydration
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Blood in the stool.
“While the latest evidence from the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food suggests the risk is greatly reduced, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) continues to recommend that vulnerable groups including pregnant women do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, or any eggs that are uncooked or lightly cooked and contain raw eggs,” said Louise Silverton, Director of Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives.
In other words, some pregnant women from various parts of the world should note that eating raw eggs during pregnancy is highly discouraged . Given the impact of consuming raw eggs can harm pregnant women and the fetus in the womb.
Tips for Eating Eggs During Pregnancy
There are several important notes for pregnant women, such as having to avoid:
- Foods containing raw or undercooked eggs, such as sauces (mayonnaise, hollandaise sauce, aioli sauce, béarnaise sauce, and Caesar salad dressing), ice cream, whipped cream, meringue, tiramisu, raw dough or cake batter, eggnog and other beverages containing undercooked eggs. Unless the eggs are pasteurized.
- All dishes with raw or undercooked eggs are served in restaurants, as it is difficult to verify whether pasteurized eggs are used when you eat out.
- Foods made with eggs, such as egg salad, unless you are sure that the food has been prepared safely (thoroughly cooked, for example) and has been stored for less than two hours (or one hour at very long intervals).
Instead, it’s safest to make these foods at home, so pregnant women know their eggs are cooked and handled following proper food safety measures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture orUS Department of Agriculture(USDA) recommends that pregnant women eat only cooked egg products.
Pasteurization and cooking destroy Salmonella bacteria. For this reason, it is important to eat only thoroughly cooked or pasteurized eggs during pregnancy to ensure the bacteria have been killed.
To ensure that eggs are safe for pregnant women to eat, there are several important things that must be done, namely:
- Avoid buying eggs with cracked or dirty shells.
- Wash the eggs thoroughly and dry the shells.
- Store eggs in the refrigerator in a separate place from other foods.
- Make sure the eggs are cooked until the yolks and whites are completely set. Usually, this means Parents must boil the eggs for at least 12 minutes.
- Store in the refrigerator (in shell or peeled) at 4 degrees Celsius, and use within a week of cooking.
- Do not leave boiled eggs for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the weather is warm).
- Reheat boiled eggs stored in the refrigerator to 75 degrees Celsius before eating.
It should be noted that eating raw eggs during pregnancy carries the risk of food poisoning. Therefore, always maintain cleanliness and make sure that these important notes are always carried out during pregnancy. This does not only apply to eggs, but also to other animal protein foods, such as meat, poultry, and fish.
Hopefully this information is useful, Mom!
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
