Food safety in pregnancy
Your placenta keeps most germs away from your baby during pregnancy - but not all.
There are a few food-related germs that may harm your baby. Some may cause problems with
his development but may only make you slightly unwell. Two germs of this kind are the listeria
bacteria and the toxoplasmosis
parasite.
There are also a few food-related germs that may make you ill. During pregnancy your
immune system (which controls how your body copes with illness) is slightly weakened. This
is a normal part of pregnancy. It means that you are, for a time, at greater risk than
other people of becoming very unwell if you catch the salmonella bacteria or other germs
that may cause food poisoning.
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