Why Are Pregnant Women Prohibited From Eating Undercooked Food?

Almost all foods and drinks are safe for consumption during pregnancy. However, undercooked food needs to be a taboo for pregnant women. Actually, why, anyway, pregnant women are prohibited from eating undercooked food?

During pregnancy, everything that pregnant women consume can affect the growth and development of the fetus. So, pregnant women are highly recommended to be more selective in choosing foods that enter the body to avoid pregnancy complications that can threaten the lives of pregnant women and their fetuses.

Reasons Why Pregnant Women Are Prohibited to Eat Half-Cooked Food

Pregnant women should not eat raw or undercooked food during pregnancy, such as raw or medium raw steak, half-cooked or half-cooked eggs, and sushi with raw salmon. This prohibition is not without reason, you know. Undercooked or raw foods are considered dangerous for pregnant women because they generally contain Salmonella and Listeria bacteria.

Read Too : Healthy Breakfast Options for Pregnant Women

Actually, these two types of bacteria can die when cooked until cooked. However, these bacteria will still be present and live on raw or undercooked food. So, it is very important for pregnant women to ensure the level of maturity of food before consuming it. In addition to these two types of bacteria, parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii can also survive on undercooked food. If this parasite is ingested, pregnant women are at risk for toxoplasmosis infection.

This condition will have an impact on the health of the fetus, because it can hamper its development. Even in severe cases, this infection can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth. In addition to animal foods as mentioned above, sprouted vegetables, such as bean sprouts, are also not recommended to be consumed in a half-cooked state, let alone raw. This is because the opening of the sprout shell can be a place for Salmonella, E. Coli, and Listeria bacteria to breed.

If pregnant women really want to enjoy half-cooked or raw food, postpone the desire until the time of delivery arrives. Remember that now pregnant women are pregnant with little angels who must be taken care of and pregnant women must meet all the nutrients they need.

Pregnant women are still allowed to eat steak, sushi, eggs, or sprouted vegetables, as long as they are completely cooked. In addition, if pregnant women like to eat vegetable or fruit salads, it is important to always wash them first with clean water before processing them.

Read Too : 11 Food Menus for Pregnant Women in Each Trimester

In essence, pay attention to all the foods that pregnant women consume. In addition, it is also important to routinely take prenatal vitamins and conduct an obstetrical examination to the doctor to determine the health condition of pregnant women and their fetuses.