Many pregnant women were surprised in the Spring of 2008 when news channels across the United States began to criticize pregnant actress Tori Spelling for promoting Baskin Robbins' new soft serve ice cream. In this promotion pregnant women were targeted and those with a baby bump were given a free cone. Most women did not realize that eating this particular type of ice cream puts their babies at risk during pregnancy because of the chances of it being contaminated with a bacteria known as Listeria.
What is Listeria?
According to the Center for Disease Control Listeria is a food born bacteria that can lead to a condition called Listeriosis. In pregnancy this infection can mimic flu symptoms in the expectant mother and she may ignore the symptoms believing it to be such.
Where is Listeria Found?
Listeria can be found in dairy products that are not pasturized, unwashed fruits and vegetables and raw meats. It can also be found on surfaces on which food is dispensed if not cleaned on a regular basis.
Why Might Soft-Serve Ice Cream Contain Listeria?
The machines used to dispense soft-serve ice cream might be cleaned every day but this cleaning does not necessarily sterilize the equipment. Ice cream is coming out of this machine through small tubes and might get stuck within tiny crevices in the machine itself that are not easily reached for cleaning. As this happens over and over and the old ice cream sits for long periods of time bacteria such as Listeria can begin to grow, contaminating the food product as it is dispensed and then eaten.
Why is Listeria Particularly Dangerous to Pregnant Women?
Listeria mainly effects individuals with weak or compromised immune systems. A healthy individual might contract the infection and have no symptoms or harmful effects. This is not the case with pregnant women. According to the American Pregnancy Association Listeria infection can pass through the placenta and infect the baby. Women who contract Listeriosis are at a higher risk for miscarriage, premature birth or still birth. If caught early enough the infection can be treated with antibiotics but unfortunately many women may have the infection and not know it, dismissing symptoms as a common illness or symptoms of the pregnancy itself.
It is an old wives tale that women crave ice cream in pregnancy and while this may be true in some cases, women who do have an ice cream craving should stick with hard ice cream. As tempting as a cone of soft-serve ice cream may be it is better to let this temptation pass and stick with what is safe. Pregnant women should not eat soft-serve ice cream at all.
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