Expectant moms should be cautious when handling undercooked, raw or cured meat because of a potentially damaging parasite infection called toxoplasmosis.
Toxoplasmosis usually only causes flu-like symptoms in adults, but can cause serious brain damage in a fetus. The infection is spread by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii and is frequently found in undercooked meat and even cat feces. Researchers at the Institute of Child Health in London interviewed more than 1,000 pregnant women, both with and without toxoplasmosis, in six European cities. They were asked about their occupation, lifestyle and eating habits.
Undercooked meat was responsible for 63 percent of the infections. Contact with the soil contributed to 17 percent of infections, and travel outside of Europe, Canada and the United States also appeared to be a significant factor. Cats, however, were not found to be a risk for infection. There some infection risk from drinking unpasteurized milk and working with animals, such as on a farm.
In the interviews, very few women mentioned contact with the soil as a possible risk for contracting this parasite, researchers note. They add that pregnant women need better information about health precautions to protect themselves and their unborn children.
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