Food safety for pregnant and breastfeeding women

Food safety is especially important for pregnant women.

When you are pregnant, your ability to fight off infection is lower than usual. In addition, your unborn baby's immune system is not fully developed. This means both you and your baby have a greater chance of getting sick from eating unsafe food. This is called “foodborne illness.”

If you get a foodborne illness, the effects may be worse than if you were not pregnant. Some foodborne illnesses may cause a woman to have a miscarriage or premature delivery, or cause the newborn baby to die. They may also result in serious health problems for the baby after birth. 

To protect your health and your baby’s health, you need to be especially careful about food safety while you are pregnant.

Food safety advice for everyone Keep food safe to eat by following these general guidelines to avoid foodborne illness. Click here to learn how to follow each one of these guidelines. CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often SEPARATE: Don't cross-contaminate COOK: Cook to proper temperature CHILL: Refrigerate promptly

Food safety advice when you are pregnant:

• Follow the food safety advice for everyone (see box). 
• Follow the advice to keep you and your baby safe from foodborne illness. Listeriosis and toxoplasmosis are foodborne illnesses that are more likely to affect pregnant women.  They can have serious harmful effects. Learn more by clicking on the links below.
• Follow the advice on eating fish while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Learn more by clicking on the link below.
• Check with your health care provider if you have a specific question or concern.

Food safety advice while you are breastfeeding your baby:

• Follow the food safety advice for everyone (see box above). 
• Follow the advice on eating fish while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Learn more by clicking on the link below.  
• Check with your health care provider if you have a specific question or concern.

Learn more:

 Keep you and your baby safe from listeriosis
 Keep you and your baby safe from toxoplasmosis
 Eating fish while you are pregnant or breastfeeding
 For more information about food safety

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