Women who are pregnant, or who might become pregnant, should not take vitamin A supplements unless they are advised to do so by a health professional. Listeriosis is a rare flu-like illness caused by bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes . Listeriosis in pregnancy may cause miscarriage, still-birth or severe illness in the new born baby. Although rare in this country, pregnant women are advised to avoid those foods where high levels of the bacteria have occasionally been found, for example pat and soft and blue-veined cheeses such as Brie, Camembert and Stilton. There is no risk associated with hard cheeses such as Cheddar of Cheshire, or cottage cheese, processed cheese or cheese spread.
Toxoplasmosis is an illness caused by a parasite which can be found in cat faeces.
The parasite can also be present in raw meat and occasionally goat's milk. The illness can in rare cases be passed to the unborn baby via its mother, resulting in a range of problems, some of them serious. As a safeguard, pregnant women should not eat raw or undercooked meat, unpasteurised goat's milk or goat's cheese, or unwashed raw fruit and vegetables. Good food hygiene practices should be followed in the kitchen and contact with cat litter trays or soil that may have been fouled by cats should be avoided. Salmonella poisoning is best avoided during pregnancy, although it is not likely to have a direct adverse effect on the baby.