Certain foods and drinks can be harmful to your baby during pregnancy. Avoiding these things can help prevent serious complications and possibly birth defects.
Alcohol and Caffeine
In terms of beverages, the most important one to avoid is alcohol. When you drink alcohol, it reaches your baby through your bloodstream. There is no known safe level of alcohol during pregnancy, so it is best to avoid it altogether.
Heavy drinking and binge drinking during pregnancy is associated with fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition in which the baby can have central nervous system disorders, behavioral problems, growth problems and abnormal facial features.
Liver
There are two types of vitamin A, retinol, preformed vitamin A, and beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Prenatal supplements contain beta-carotene rather than retinol. Liver is very high in the retinol type of vitamin A, and studies have shown that women consuming too much retinol during pregnancy have a higher risk of having a baby with birth defects such as malformation of the face, head, heart and nervous system.
The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A for pregnant women is 2,565 IU, and a single serving of beef liver contains 27,000 IU. A 1995 study found that women who took more than 10,000 IU of vitamin A during the first two months of pregnancy were twice as likely to have a baby with birth defects. Experts suggest that women avoid retinol, and therefore liver, entirely during pregnancy and instead get vitamin A from yellow and green fruits and vegetables, which are high in beta-carotene, and prenatal supplements.
Soft Cheeses
Certain types of cheese, such as feta, Brie and Camembert, are made from unpasteurized milk. This is unsafe during pregnancy because these cheeses, along with other foods such as deli meats and hot dogs, can contain the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which causes listeriosis. When a pregnant woman gets listeriosis she can have a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the newborn baby could get seriously ill.
Certain Types of Fish
Consuming fish during pregnancy can be a double-edged sword. Some types are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for the baby's brain development. However, fish also contains mercury, which can harm the baby's nervous system. So what to do?
Don't eat fish that can be high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel. Eat up to 12 ounces per week of fish that is low in mercury, such as canned light tuna, salmon, shrimp, pollock and catfish. Limit or avoid albacore tuna, which is much higher in mercury than regular canned tuna. Most of all for both you and your baby's benefit, choose fish that are low in mercury and high in omega-3s, such as salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines and trout.
Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, popular under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal, is considered safe during pregnancy in moderate amounts. Saccharin is best avoided. It was one of the first artificial sweeteners, but is not commonly used today. In animal studies it has been shown to accumulate in the unborn baby and be released slowly, possibly increasing the risk of bladder cancer.
The main issue with artificial sweeteners is that pregnant women who consume them are missing out on important nutrients. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit instead for a vitamin boost.
Learning what to avoid eating when you're pregnant is just as important as focusing on what you should eat. Doing so can improve the health of you and your baby.
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