Which Foodborne Illnesses Place Pregnant Women at Risk?

 Posted on February 24, 2023 in Foodborne illness

For pregnant women, the list of potentially dangerous things to avoid can seem endless. Obviously, activities like smoking and drinking are off-limits, but so are many other common activities - cleaning a cat litter box, certain types of exercise, flying on airplanes after a certain date, and eating fish that are high in mercury. However, the most common dangers that pregnant women face can come from a seemingly innocuous source: Food, especially food that is often seen as healthy like salads. Women who suffer from food poisoning during pregnancy can face serious consequences and, if they are injured, may be entitled to take legal action. 

Why is Foodborne Illness More Dangerous During Pregnancy? 

A crucial part of healthy fetal development is the suppression of the mother’s own immune system. This prevents the mother’s body from rejecting the fetus as a foreign object, but it also weakens the immune system’s ability to respond to threats, making serious illness from germs much more likely. Common types of food poisoning, such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria, have the potential to develop serious complications in pregnant women, including, but not limited to: 

• Problems with the fetus’s neurological development

• Organ damage and failure in the mother 

• Meningitis in a newborn

• Malnutrition in the fetus and the mother 

• Miscarriage or stillbirth 

• Maternal death 

Symptoms of Food Poisoning During Pregnancy

Food poisoning during pregnancy looks and feels much like food poisoning when a woman is not pregnant, albeit with more severe symptoms. Common symptoms tend to kick in within a day or two of eating contaminated food, although they can start much sooner or much later, making it difficult to identify the source of the illness. Symptoms include: 

• Fever

• Headache

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Stomach pain 

• Dehydration 

• Blood in stool 

Symptoms like headaches and nausea are common in pregnancy, which can make it difficult to determine whether you are suffering from exposure to food poisoning or simply not feeling well because of the pregnancy. However, if you suffer from a sudden or worsening change, or if you have more abnormal symptoms like blood in your stool or a high fever, seek medical assistance right away. Try to remember what you ate over the past few days and write it down, asking others for help if necessary. If the cause of your illness is food poisoning, a food poisoning attorney can help you investigate the source, but the more information you have, the better. 

Call an Illinois Food Poisoning Lawyer 

Food poisoning during pregnancy can cause serious damage to the health of the mother and fetus, including fatalities. If you are or were pregnant and were exposed to a foodborne illness, speak with an Illinois food poisoning attorney with Newland & Newland, LLP. You may be entitled to recover compensation from the business or organization responsible for your illness. Call 312-981-0409 today to schedule a free, no-pressure consultation and learn your legal options. 

Source: 

https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/medical-professionals-fast-facts-food-safety-moms-be