Pregnant women have a higher risk of contracting an infection by the food-borne bacterium listeria monocytogenes. In the United States, an estimated 2,500 people contract serious listeria infections each year and one-third of these cases occur in pregnant women. Blue cheese and other varieties of soft cheese might contain the bacteria.
Risks to Infant
Listeria poses serious and life-threatening risks to the unborn infant. During the first trimester, listeria infection might cause a miscarriage, and as the pregnancy progresses to the third trimester, premature labor and delivery and stillbirth might be triggered. Surviving infants can suffer from severe health problems including mental retardation, blindness, paralysis, liver and kidney problems, meningitis and blood infections.
Risks to Mother
A listeria infection is usually not life-threatening to the expectant mother, and many infected people experience no symptoms at all. Some display flu-like symptoms such as fever, weakness, muscular pain, stiff neck, chills and gastrointestinal distress. Contact your health care provider if you experience any of these symptoms during pregnancy. Prompt treatment with antibiotics might prevent the infection from affecting the unborn child.
Recommendations
Blue cheese and other soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, goat cheese and Mexican cheeses should be avoided during pregnancy unless they are clearly labeled as pasteurized. Unpasteurized soft cheese carries a higher risk of harboring the listeria bacteria, which can survive and grow even at refrigerated temperatures. In the United States, information about pasteurization is required on the product label. If you are unsure about a product's safety, consult your doctor before consuming it.
Alternatives
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that you substitute hard cheeses such as cheddar or Swiss for soft cheese varieties. Alternatively, read food labels carefully and confirm that the cheese is made from pasteurized milk only. If a food label is unavailable, err on the side of caution and avoid the food.
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