Contents:
- Medical Video: Eating well in your first trimester
- Foods that should be avoided by pregnant women
- 1. Fish containing high mercury
- 2. Raw or undercooked seafood
- 3. Half-cooked beef and poultry
- 4. Raw or undercooked eggs
- 5. Unpasteurized drinks
- 6. Heart
- 7. Caffeine
- 8. Alcohol
- 9. Vitamin supplements and fish oil
Medical Video: Eating well in your first trimester
Pregnant women certainly want to always give the best to the fetus. One of them is by controlling the food you eat. Of course pregnant women want to provide the best nutrition for their future babies so that they grow healthy and smart. The fetus needs nutrients that are good for growth and development in the womb.
To achieve this, it is not surprising if the mother starts eating nutritious foods while pregnant. His family also provides all nutritious food for mothers, ranging from fruits, vegetables, boiled foods, and so on.
However, there are some foods that should be avoided by pregnant women because it can cause a bad impact on the fetus if the mother eats it. What are they?
Foods that should be avoided by pregnant women
Some of the foods below can harm the fetus if eaten by the mother. There are those that cause poisoning until disruption of fetal brain development.
1. Fish containing high mercury
Seafood contains sources of protein and omega-3 fatty acids that are good for brain development and baby's vision function. However, it also contains harmful substances to the body which are found in some fish. Fish that contain high mercury can cause disruption of the baby's brain development. The larger the size of the fish, the greater the mercury it contains. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits pregnant women from eating swordfish, sharks, king mackerel, and tilefish because the mercury content is very high. These types of fish may be rare in Indonesia, but it's good for mothers to know this.
Several types seafood others often found also have high mercury levels but are not as high as the fish mentioned above. Examples are shrimp, salmon, tuna, sardines, catfish, bilis fish, tilapia and fish trout. Consumption of these fish should be limited to only 2 times per week.
2. Raw or undercooked seafood
Raw or undercooked seafood can harm the fetus because of it sometimes there are parasitic worms in raw seafood. Therefore, you should avoid raw fish and shellfish, as they usually are in shushi and sashimi and cook the fish until it's perfectly cooked. Cook the fish at a temperature of 63 degrees Celsius. Cook shrimp, lobster and shellfish until they turn white as milk. Cook the clams until their shells open.
3. Half-cooked beef and poultry
Half-cooked beef and poultry (chicken, birds, ducks) can contains toxoplasmosis parasites which are harmful to the fetus. To prevent poisoning, you should cook beef and poultry until it is fully cooked, no blood. If necessary, use a thermometer to ensure its maturity.
4. Raw or undercooked eggs
Cook the eggs until done, until the yolk and egg white turn solid. This is done to prevent poisoning due to salmonella bacteria in eggs. Salmonella that enters the mother's body can harm the fetus and can also cause the mother to get diarrhea and vomiting. Also avoid foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as self-made mayonnaise.
5. Unpasteurized drinks
Milk is healthy if it's pasteurized or has gone through the heating stage. However, if it has not been pasteurized, pregnant women should not drink the milk. Milk or dairy products that have not been pasteurized can cause poisoning because of the possibility that there are still bacteria in them. Also avoid drinking raw raw milk, such as cow's milk or unpasteurized goat's milk.
6. Heart
The liver, such as chicken liver or beef liver, contains lots of vitamin A. Excessive consumption of vitamin A can harm the fetus. It's best to limit liver consumption for pregnant women.
7. Caffeine
Caffeine can cross the placenta and have an impact on the baby's heartbeat. Several studies have shown that consuming a lot of caffeine during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and infant mortality at birth, but further research is needed. It's best to limit consumption of caffeine-containing beverages and foods, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, in pregnant women.
8. Alcohol
Mothers who drink alcohol have a higher risk of miscarriage and infant death at birth. Too much alcohol consumption while pregnant can result fetal alcohol syndrome which can cause facial deformities, heart abnormalities, and mental deterioration in children. Drinking a little alcohol can even have an impact on the disruption of the baby's brain development.
9. Vitamin supplements and fish oil
It's best not to take high-dose multivitamin supplements, fish liver oil supplements, or other supplements that contain high doses of vitamin A. Too much intake of vitamin A can harm the fetus. You should consult your doctor if you want to take supplements.
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