Booklet identifies food-related risks during pregnancy

By REBECCA WALSH health reporter

Sharon Milburn knew something was wrong when the baby inside her stopped kicking.

Two days after Georgia Milburn was born by emergency caesarean section she died of listeria poisoning.

"One minute you think you have six weeks to go and you are at the stage where you think you'll get a cot ... [the next] it was all over. It really did leave us in a state of shock," said Mrs Milburn, of Auckland.

Yesterday, she was in Wellington for the launch of the Food Safety in Pregnancy booklet, designed to help manage some of the risks associated with food during pregnancy.

The booklet, available at all public health units, is based on one written by Dr Cathy Pikholz and Dr Greg Simmons for Auckland Public Health.

Mrs Milburn, a kindergarten teacher, and her husband, Brent, who works in the food industry, thought they knew enough about which foods to avoid during pregnancy.

She didn't eat things like shellfish and pate, but later was surprised to learn listeria could be found in salads, including "trendy" roasted vegetable salads.

She does not know how she contracted the bacteria, possibly through something she ate while on holiday.

But right now Mrs Milburn is extra careful. Fifteen weeks pregnant with her second child, she eats only salads that she prepares and, when out, always orders well-heated food.

"I know that people say pregnancy is not an illness and people should carry on as normal ... but you do need to be more careful than you would otherwise [be].

"It's only nine months. That's not long in the scheme of things," she said.

"I'm not naturally a worrier. For me, it's really a case of knowing I'm being careful and not trying to dwell on it too much. I keep telling myself it's not going to happen again."

But she said it was vital that people had all the information to make the wisest choice.

Dr Pikholz said about five pregnant women in New Zealand contracted listeria every year. In about half those cases the baby was stillborn or died soon after birth.

Listeria, commonly found in air, water and soil, usually caused no harm, she said.

But in pregnant women the bacteria thrived in the placenta.

High-risk foods included smoked fish, shellfish, soft cheeses, cold meats, ready-made salads and raw eggs.

Dr Pikholz said other food-borne illnesses were unlikely to result in harm to a foetus.

The booklet, launched by the Minister for Food Safety, Annette King, outlines the different types of foodborne illness, how they can affect pregnant women and their babies and how women can try to avoid them.

It also contains a list of foods and their associated risks.

Practical advice on preparing, cooking and storing food is included in the booklet, which also contains general advice on issues such as eating out, use of folic acid, safe gardening, overseas travel and drinking alcohol.