Oh No! I Just Ate Some Lunch Meat! Is My Baby Going to be OK?

On July 31, 2008 Jessica sent me an e-mail {Jess, can you really believe its been 3 years?}. She had an idea for us to write a pregnancy book together. I think my first response was to laugh, which is likely why she sent me the request in an e-mail and not in person. Despite her most excellent ability to spin the idea and down play the work involved, I was not so sure I wanted to embark on such a journey. I decided to mull over the idea for a few days before I responded.

The next night when I was on call, I received a frantic phone call at 3 a.m. from a patient that went something like this:

“ Hello, this is … ummm…… Dr. Rupe?” Me, asleep

“ I’ve done something terrible….!” Patient replies in hysterics

“What ?” {I do not always have the most compassionate responses at 3 am}

“Is my baby going to die?” Patient replies, in tears

“You have to calm down and tell me what is going on?”

“Last night for dinner I had a ham sandwich and then I couldn’t sleep and then I started reading on the internet and it said that LUNCHMEAT CAN KILL MY BABY………” hysterics ensue.

After spending about 15 minutes calming her down and convincing her that her baby would be fine, I realized that this book was at least worth a shot. Giving women some solid medical information based on faith and not fear and guilt was a good idea. And it might even save me a few phone calls. So while I did pray through the decision, in the end it was a 3 am phone call about lunch meat that sealed the deal for me.

Listeria, which has been found in contaminated deli meat, causes a food born illness.  Recent news reports of an outbreak that has resulted in 15 deaths in the US, have been reminding me of that long ago phone call. This outbreak has been traced to cantaloupes that have been recalled. Listeria is a bacteria that can cause severe disease in people with lowered immune systems: the elderly, cancer patients and pregnant women. It is found in dirt, fecal matter, food products and animals. It also has the unique distinction of being a cause of stillbirth and miscarriage. Luckily it is extremely rare for it to cause serious infection. The rate of infection in 2009 was 1/300,000 people in the US, with most experiencing a ‘stomach flu’ type syndrome.

In the early 1990’s, a large outbreak of Listeria associated with deli meats occurred in the US. Since that time additional testing and safety measures were implemented by the Food Borne Disease Active Surveillance Network, further decreasing the rates of contamination. Additionally outbreaks have been associated with many other foods including: undercooked chicken, deli meats, hot dogs, soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk and now cantaloupe.

Refrigeration does not protect against listeria, however heat does. Using only pasteurized dairy products is wise. Additionally, juices from from raw meats and hot dogs should always been kept away from fresh food, and all surfaces thoroughly sanitized. Deli meats can be heated until sizzling to further reduce the risk of possible contamination, although the overall risk is extremely low to begin with.

For a lot of women, deli meats is one of the few sources of proteins that taste good to their puny stomachs. Yes, take the precautions listed above when handling food, but at the end of the day the OVERALL risk of contracting listeria from fresh deli meat is very low. The riskiest thing a pregnant woman does is get behind the wheel of a car. You are 100 times more likely to die in a car crash on your way home from Kroger than you are to actually get listeria from the lunch meat you ate when you got home.  I’m not reporting that fact to scare you away from driving nor to encourage you to do reckless things when you are pregnant; just to put the risks in perspective.

Carrying a human in your uterus seems to be the equivalent to wearing a sign that says “Please give me advice on what to do and what to eat.  While your at it, by all means tell me your scariest pregnancy stories.”  So, if your coworker freaks out when she sees you eating a carefully heated and appropriately cared for slice of salami, then just smile and tell her to make sure she wears her seat belt on her drive home from Kroger. Take all unsolicited advice with a grain of salt, check your facts with a trusted book and if there is any doubt call your doctor {not at 3 a.m. please }.

For additional information on listeria:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/pregnancy_gateway/infections-listeria.html

http://www.webmd.com/news/20110929/listeria-are-you-at-risk

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