Why pregnant women can't eat cheese. Can pregnant women eat blue cheese?

For those pregnant women who care about the health of the unborn baby, it plays an important role. The most responsible expectant mothers prefer to create special diets with the help of specialized doctors in order to provide the baby with all the necessary nutrients and beneficial substances. The diet of a pregnant woman, of course, should consist of those foods that do not pose any harm to the expectant mother and the fetus growing inside her. Those that in any case will not affect the course of pregnancy and the health of the unborn child. And at the same time, those that are able to satisfy the need for nutrients and nutrients - both the mother’s body and the body growing in the baby’s belly.

So what foods should you be wary of so as not to overshadow the happy time of bearing a baby? What should you not eat during pregnancy to avoid risking your health?

Cheeses - soft (brie, camembert, feta), as well as blue cheese and goat cheese. Cheeses are included in the list of prohibited products for pregnant women due to a special preparation technology: they are produced on the basis of unpasteurized milk. And the absence of a pasteurization process leads to the fact that bacteria can persist in cheeses, which can lead to infection, and, as a result, to miscarriage or.

If cheeses based on unpasteurized milk are not allowed for consumption, then, logically, milk itself is prohibited - unpasteurized and unboiled. Such milk is also very likely to contain infections that cause.

You can get poisoning, or even worse - salmonellosis, by eating raw eggs. Therefore, you should not eat either soft-boiled eggs or fried eggs: the yolk and white must harden during cooking. But quail eggs, fortunately, can be eaten raw: it has been proven that salmonella does not “live” in them. But, in any case, you should not abuse the product - after all, eggs are classified as a fairly strong allergen.

Salmonella can also “live” in, therefore, during pregnancy, all kinds of “Tatar steaks”, undercooked kebab or steaks, rare steaks, and half-baked liver are not allowed to be eaten. It is very advisable to avoid meat products such as ham and cold smoked sausages during pregnancy - they may contain pathogenic bacteria that can contribute to infection with listeriosis or. For the same reason, it is better to refuse pates (both meat, vegetable, and fish).

Regarding fish: no matter how useful this product is, during pregnancy, types of fish containing high amounts of mercury are prohibited for consumption. These are tuna, perch, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, marlin. If you have an irresistible desire to try such fish, then you can only eat it in minimal quantities - no more than 100 g per week and always in heat-treated form. And it’s even better, of course, to replace it with not only safe, but also healthy sardines, herring, flounder, cod or salmon.

Continuing the theme of seafood: raw shellfish are prohibited during pregnancy - as a possible source of pathogenic microorganisms that cause poisoning. There is a similar ban on sushi for the same reason: if you catch a helminthic infection after eating sushi, it will then be difficult and time-consuming to treat. Do you just want sushi “to the point of impossibility”? Then it is better to give preference to rolls with thermally processed products, and ideally, vegetarian sushi (for example, with cucumber).

When talking about what you should not eat during pregnancy, you cannot ignore foods that contain large quantities of dyes, flavors, flavor enhancers and other harmful substances. food additives. IN mandatory you should avoid all kinds of chips, crackers, colored chewing gum and chewing candies. Carbonated products are also not recommended during pregnancy - not only because they contain dyes and flavors, but because of the presence of aspartame in them - an artificial sweetener that has the ability to penetrate through (aspartame is also found in so-called diet products, for example, breakfast cereals) .

And, of course, we should not forget that a pregnant woman is very prone to manifestations, which makes itself felt as a consequence of a growing and compressing (stomach and intestines) uterus. To minimize the risk of such an unpleasant phenomenon as heartburn, as well as to prevent “overload” of the liver and gallbladder, you should avoid smoked, fried, fatty and spicy foods and dishes. And, as a result of the heavy load on the kidneys (which during pregnancy already work in an enhanced mode), avoid marinades and pickles.

Especially for- Tatyana Argamakova

One of the important elements that must be present in a pregnant woman’s diet is calcium. Dairy products, and especially cheeses, contain it in sufficient quantities.

Doctors have mixed opinions about eating cheese during pregnancy. In this matter, the main role is played by the technology of preparing the product and its variety.

The benefits of cheese during pregnancy

If we are talking about the benefits of cheese, then it is necessary to take into account the variety of its varieties. The following general useful qualities and features can be identified: certain types cheese:

• B vitamins activate vital functions by improving tissue respiration processes, B2 contributes to the normal development of the fetus;
• cheese protein is used by the body as a building material for cells;
• Eating cheese, due to its calcium content, improves the condition of teeth, nails and hair;
• substances contained in cheese improve appetite and mental activity;
• Thanks to a special fermentation process, cheeses are digested almost completely.
• in hard varieties of cheese (Parmesan, Russian, cheddar and others) there are no conditions for the proliferation of pathogenic microflora, so they are safe for pregnant women;
• Processed and curd cheeses that were exposed to high temperatures during the production process are considered safe;
• Among curd cheeses, fresh Adyghe is considered one of the healthiest;
• large cheeses (with large holes) normalize blood pressure and have a calming effect;
• small varieties of cheese (Dutch, Uglich, Stepnoy, Kostroma and others) have a high energy value and are recommended for breakfast;
• Tofu cheese made from soy milk contains a lot of iron and is cholesterol-free, which is why it is used in dietary nutrition.

Despite nutritional value hard cheeses, the calcium contained in their composition is not absorbed, as it is in an insoluble form.

Possible contraindications

Sometimes it is better for a pregnant woman to stop eating cheese or reduce it to a minimum amount in her diet.

The danger comes from soft cheeses that are made from unpasteurized milk and have not been heat treatment during the manufacturing process. In such products, the bacterium Listeria monocyotogenes, which causes the disease listeriosis, can rapidly multiply. The pathogen is often detected in soft blue cheeses.

Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, fever, chills and muscle pain. These signs appear after an incubation period, which lasts from 3 days to several weeks. During pregnancy female body susceptible to infection, the probability of infection during these 9 months increases 20 times. The consequence of the disease can be miscarriage, deformities and developmental abnormalities in the fetus.

They are characterized by an accumulation of microorganisms, so it is better to completely exclude them from a pregnant woman’s menu. When purchasing any cheese, you need to carefully study the composition. The product must be made from pasteurized milk and the labeling must indicate that it is indeed real cheese and not an artificial cheese product. In the second case, synthetic additives are used; very few natural raw materials are used in the manufacture of the cheese product. Vegetable fats and palm oil may contain more than 50%, and in some cases milk fat is not detected at all.

Shelf life is also one of the important indicators of cheese quality. You should not store cheese for a long time; this negatively affects its quality and taste.

What kind of cheese can you eat during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, it is better to give preference to high-quality hard cheeses, such as:

• Russian;
• Parmesan;
• Poshekhonsky;
• Cheddar,
• gouda;
• maasdam;
• Emmental and others.

Everyone loves burgers with cheese, and even broccoli tastes good with cheese! It would be surprising if pregnant women didn't crave cheese. But is it safe to eat cheese during pregnancy? Prevention is always better than cure, so you should know for sure whether cheese is harmful for a child.

Today, cheese is everywhere, in all the most delicious foods. In fact, it is impossible to imagine a dish that would include cheese and be tasteless. And if you - expectant mother, it's safe to say that you have little control over your food cravings right now and simply can't help but eat cheesecakes, pizza, pasta, lasagna, burgers or salads with tons of cheese sauce, and anything else you can put cheese on. But pregnant women need to adhere to so many food restrictions!

Cheeses are produced by coagulating the proteins and fats contained in milk during fermentation. This means it contains bacteria. In this regard, the question arises: is it healthy to eat cheese during pregnancy? Are the bacteria contained in cheese dangerous for a child’s health? Generally hard cheeses are safer than soft ones, since the pasteurization process destroys pathogens that can harm the fruit. Additionally, the safety of cheese largely depends on the type of cheese you consume, as there are a huge variety of them.

Eating cheese during pregnancy

When eating cheese during pregnancy, you need to make sure that it is made from pasteurized milk and not raw milk! This is important because raw milk contains a harmful bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause certain diseases, including in the fetus, by crossing the placenta. This is more true for soft cheeses, as they are made from raw milk, which makes them less sour. They also contain more moisture than hard cheeses, making them an ideal environment for the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and other bacteria.

However, these bacteria are usually killed during the pasteurization process, so cheeses made from pasteurized milk are safe to eat. Listeria is known to be responsible for blood poisoning, deadly infections such as listeriosis and meningitis, as well as certain flu-like symptoms. Unfortunately, pregnant women are included in the group increased risk harmful effects of Listeria monocytogenes, since defense mechanism their body becomes weaker. They may experience nausea, vomiting and muscle pain. These symptoms appear within 2-30 days after Listeria enters the body.

According to statistics, pregnant women are 20 times more likely to develop listeriosis.

But this is dangerous for the child’s health and can even lead to complications such as premature birth, stillbirth or miscarriage, although this disease is not fatal for the mother. However, 22 out of 100 cases of listeriosis in pregnant women result in the death of the child.

Avoid soft cheeses such as:

• Camembert;
• Cambozola;
• All types of goat cheese or chèvre that are ripened with mold, such as Feta, Castelo Branco;
• All types of blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Danablu;
• White Mexican cheeses such as Queso fresco, Blanco, Panela.

Keep in mind that imported cheeses are most often made from raw milk. Do not buy such cheeses unless their packaging states otherwise. While you can't be 100% sure your cheese doesn't contain listeria, pasteurization minimizes the chance of this happening, so...

Cheddar, Gouda, Edam, Parmesan and Swiss cheeses are good options to satisfy cheese cravings during pregnancy. In addition to Listeria, soft cheeses may also contain another bacterium, Escherichia coli. It can cause serious symptoms and illnesses in both mother and baby, such as diarrhea, blood poisoning, fever and meningitis. Other substitution options for soft cheeses during pregnancy include cottage cheese, mozzarella and cream cheese.

Precautions

To protect your unborn baby from harmful bacteria, it is recommended that you avoid eating commercial foods that contain cheese and switch to home-cooked foods. It is imperative that cheese be thoroughly cooked at high temperatures to destroy pathogens and reduce the danger they pose.

Prepare cheese by deep frying or baking!

It should also be noted that American cheeses contain trans fats, which, when consumed by pregnant women, have been linked to food allergies to dairy products in their children. Beware of labels such as “hydrogenated” and “partially hydrogenated” on packages.

Cheeses are made mostly from pasteurized milk. Not only cheeses, but also all dairy products made from unpasteurized milk can be dangerous for consumption during pregnancy. So, the next time you go to a farmer's market to buy cheese, check the ingredients on the package or ask the seller about its ingredients. If you have doubts about the safety of a product, do not buy it so as not to expose your child to the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria. Overall, cheese is good for your health during pregnancy as it helps meet your need for extra calcium.

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The basis of which should only be natural products. It is especially important to include dairy products in the menu, cheese in particular, which is the richest source of calcium, which is so necessary during pregnancy.

The benefits of cheese

It contains substances that are important for the body and can be completely absorbed by the body. Amount of protein in cheese makes him a leader in the world healthy products. In this he surpasses even meat and fish.

It should also be included in the diet for those who expend a lot of energy. This especially applies to children, the elderly and pregnant women. It is enough to eat a hundred gram slice of cheese per day to compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals. During a period when a person suffers from bone diseases or has fractures, it is important to include it in the diet.

Cheese is very useful for pregnant women. It is eaten for toxicosis. You can eat one slice on an empty stomach. Its daily consumption is considered excellent prevention of caries in babies.

Often, when visiting a doctor, women ask whether pregnant women can eat cheese. It is worth noting that there are some varieties of product that can and should be eaten by pregnant women. These are hard varieties, and among them, Russian, Parmesan, Gouda, and Cheddar are considered the best options.

The thing is that these varieties do not have favorable conditions for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, which is why the product is approved for both pregnant women and children.

Among soft cheeses there are also safe, but less useful varieties . These are curd cheese, Feta, processed cheese, Mascarpone and Philadelphia. They are produced using a special technology that does not pose a threat to human health, but involves deep processing.

During pregnancy it is very Adyghe cheese is healthy, which has its own peculiarity. It cannot be stored for long and is best consumed in short term after the purchase. Its benefit lies in the fact that it contains small amount of fat, which cannot be said about processed cheese, which contains a large amount of cholesterol and fat. You can eat such a product, but not often.

When purchasing hard cheeses, it is important to carefully study the label and find what kind of milk it was made from. If pasteurized milk was involved in the production process, you can safely buy such a product.

Why cheese can be dangerous

During pregnancy, the mother strives to protect the fetus from the negative effects of viruses and bacteria. When buying cheese, you may not even be aware of the presence of the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause dangerous disease - listeriosis. This type of bacterium is often found in unpasteurized milk, blue cheese and poultry.

Among the signs of the disease that a person may experience are nausea, chills, and muscle pain. In a pregnant woman, the disease can cause miscarriage, sepsis in the child, meningitis and even premature birth.

Dangerous bacteria can penetrate the placenta and amniotic fluid. The baby is also exposed to infection. At the same time there is a high probability of his death. Often the disease can be asymptomatic.

Therefore, it is better to reduce the amount of soft cheese consumed during pregnancy.

Cheeses harmful to pregnant women

During this period, it is important to completely exclude from the diet varieties that have a lot of water in their composition, but little acid. This environment is optimal for the proliferation of dangerous bacteria.

List of dangerous cheeses:

• Camembert
• Dor blue
• Taleggio
• Cambonzola
• Blue cheese is contraindicated for pregnant women (Danablu, Savoy, Roquefort)
• Sheep and goat soft varieties (Pyramid, Shibishu)

Mothers who have experienced gastritis or colitis should not abuse this product. To those who suffer kidney disease, also cheese is not recommended. The fact is that the product contains extraactive components that can provoke an exacerbation of urolithiasis.

It is also undesirable to order food with cheese in a cafe. It is impossible to control the cooking process, and its components may not have undergone proper heat treatment.

Cheese recipe

You can get healthy and nutritious cheese without additives or harmful impurities by by preparing it at home. In this case, the benefits of the product will be greater, since when preparing it you can choose the ingredients yourself. The whole process takes no more than half an hour, and the taste is even better than store-bought.

To make cheese, take 0.5 liters of milk (preferably full-fat milk, bought at the market from trusted sellers or friends), the same amount of cottage cheese, 70 grams. butter, half a teaspoon of soda, a chicken egg and a little salt.

Pour the cottage cheese into a small container and pour in the milk. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula. Then put the mixture on cheesecloth and let it drain. After this, there is no need to pour out the serum. Place the butter in the same container, melt it a little, add the egg and soda. Mix everything thoroughly.

Now add cheese to the egg-butter mixture and cook for a couple more minutes. It is important to stir all the time so that the mass does not stick. During sticking (if it happens), you can add serum to the container. Transfer the thickened mass to a bowl and cover. cling film, and when it cools down, put it in the refrigerator.

When transferring the mass into a bowl or mold, it is important to compact it well so that the density of the product is high. After a couple of hours, the hard cheese is ready to eat. You can and should eat such cheese during pregnancy without fear of infection with an insidious bacterium.

Cheese dishes

His useful components can be destroyed during heat treatment, so you should not expose them to excessive temperature effects. The best start to the day for a pregnant woman is a cheese sandwich for breakfast.

Curd cheese can be placed in cheesecakes and dumplings. The main requirement for the product is freshness.

Lasagna or pasta can be sprinkled with hard cheese.

If mommy is a vegetarian

In this case, mommy can replace dairy product leafy greens and sunflower seeds. They contain calcium in an amount that is equivalent to dairy products. In addition, a pregnant woman will also saturate the body folic acid which is necessary for anemia. Nuts and sunflower seeds, in addition to calcium, contain selenium and organic acids.

LISTERIOSIS
Listeriosis is little known in practical healthcare, although the history of its study goes back more than 100 years. This infection occurs on all continents, in countries with different socio-economic and climatic conditions. It is well known to veterinarians because... It is distributed mainly among wild and domestic animals and relatively rarely affects humans.
Rare reports of listeriosis in humans are also associated with the small number of practical laboratories capable of isolating listeria or detecting antibodies to it. Despite the relatively low incidence of human morbidity, deaths in sick people are often recorded, and among newborns - even in 70-80%.

Listeriosis poses the greatest danger to pregnant women, as it leads to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and early neonatal mortality. In addition to pregnant women and newborns, listeriosis most often affects elderly and senile people, in whom the most cases are registered. severe forms diseases - septic and meningoencephalitic. People of all ages with impaired immunity and weakened by other previous diseases also often get sick. These are primarily people suffering from cancer, infection caused by the immunodeficiency virus (AIDS, HIV infection), people who have been receiving corticosteroid drugs for a long time, drugs that suppress the immune system during organ and tissue transplantation. IN recent years The risk category is supplemented by a large group of young drug addicts, dependent on intravenously administered drugs, which significantly destroy the immune system. In all these cases, associated listeriosis is often the last link leading to death.

The causative agent of the disease is Listeria monocytogenes - a small, mobile rod that does not form spores and stains well using the Gram method. It belongs to the group of corynebacteria, among which the diphtheria bacillus is the most famous, therefore bacteriologists often initially diagnose listeria as a diphtheroid (i.e., similar to diphtheria) and only as a result of additional research distinguish these bacteria from each other.

At the same time, they quickly die at boiling temperature, although at 62°C they die only after 35 minutes. But even high temperatures can be tolerated by Listeria while inside cells or tissues. Thus, in Canada and several European countries, outbreaks of foodborne listeriosis were observed, caused by the consumption of pasteurized milk, which was not previously centrifuged, and Listeria survived in single leukocytes and epithelial cells found in the sediment after centrifugation. On open surfaces, use conventional disinfectants (formalin, bleach), as well as sun rays, cause their death.

Most often, infection occurs through contact with sick animals and poultry or through consumption of infected animal or plant products, contaminated with animal excretions or soil - the usual habitat of Listeria. Among such products, the most dangerous are raw cabbage salads, soft cheeses, and semi-finished meat products, including poultry. Raw meat and meat products can be 30-50% contaminated. The possibility of infection with listeriosis increases significantly in cases of professional contact between a person and animals, poultry or raw materials. Therefore, workers in livestock farms, poultry farms, meat processing plants, dairies, food processing units and others constitute a risk group.

Although the food route of Listeria penetration into the human body is the main one, we should not forget that they can also penetrate through other routes - airborne dust through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, through the conjunctiva of the eye and damaged skin. A sick person or bacteria carrier who excretes listeria in urine, feces, vaginal and other secretions is often also a source of infection. Particularly dangerous are asymptomatic carriers or persons suffering from mild and subtle (clinically not expressed) forms of the disease. In recent years, a long-term presence of Listeria in the organs and secretions of the genitourinary tract has been established. As a result, infection is transmitted from mother to fetus in utero (through the placenta) or infection of the newborn during childbirth. Infection of the fetus can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but most often it occurs in the last third of it. Postpartum women and newborns can shed the pathogen during the first two weeks after birth. Therefore, they can often be a source of nosocomial listeriosis if hygiene measures are not observed and patients’ excretions are insufficiently disinfected.

Due to the widespread distribution of listeria in the human environment and the possibility of contracting erased and mild forms of the disease, the natural susceptibility to listeriosis is low, and, as indicated, in addition to newborns and pregnant women, mainly people over 60 years of age, as well as those with a deficiency of cellular immune factors, are affected. Listeriosis is usually observed in the spring and summer, often in the form of sporadic diseases. Group morbidity and epidemic outbreaks are caused mainly by the consumption of listeria-infected food products.

Listeriosis is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations, variants of the course and outcomes of the disease. Incubation period, i.e. The time from infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease also varies - from 3-5 days in newborns to 2 months, but most often with food contamination it is 2-3 weeks.

In most cases, the gastroenteric form is registered, which is manifested by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, usually against the background of increased body temperature up to 38-39°C. Listeriosis can be limited to the indicated symptoms, however, often after 3-4 days the patient’s condition suddenly sharply worsens and signs of damage to the central nervous system(CNS) in the form of meningitis, encephalitis or a combination thereof.

Listeria origin should be considered primarily in the case of meningitis developing in people over 50 years of age, after previous gastroenteritis, as well as in people suffering from lymphoma, having undergone an organ transplant or receiving corticosteroids. Although in general the clinical course of meningitis is quite typical, there are some features that characterize its listeriosis nature. Unlike meningitis caused by other bacteria, with listeria meningitis, convulsions, loss of coordination of movements, tremors, and impaired mental state are more often observed. Rigidity of the neck muscles may not be detected in almost half of the patients; changes in the cerebrospinal fluid are not as significant as with other purulent meningitis.

Listeria meningitis, as a rule, is combined with simultaneous damage to the brain substance, i.e. are essentially meningoencephalitis, in all cases they are extremely severe and in 25-30% of cases end in death.

Another form of damage to the central nervous system due to listeriosis is brain abscesses, which are usually subcortical and also often result in death or serious complications in the form of paresis, paralysis, and mental disorders. In most cases of damage to the central nervous system, listeria is found in patients in the blood, and often in the cerebrospinal fluid, i.e. there is a septic form of listeriosis. The latter can also manifest as purulent foci in various organs, and then endocarditis, pericarditis, peritonitis, osteomyelitis, pleuropneumonia, liver abscesses, spleen, etc. are diagnosed. In all these cases, chills, significant fluctuations in body temperature, enlargement of the liver and spleen are noted, and septic shock often develops with secondary renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and respiratory failure, which together causes death.

Listeriosis occurs much more easily in pregnant women, in whom it, as a rule, does not affect the central nervous system, usually resembles an acute respiratory infection and is accompanied by fever, pain in the muscles, joints, lower back, and headache. Let us recall that while not posing a serious threat to the life of a pregnant woman, listeriosis is extremely dangerous for the development of the fetus, leading to stillbirth and premature birth. Since the disease usually develops in the last months of pregnancy, when the fetus has already formed, its septic lesion is accompanied by microabscesses and specific formations (granulomas) in the placenta, liver and spleen of the fetus. If a child is born alive, then he has purulent conjunctivitis, a widespread papular rash, bacteremia, the main organs and systems are affected, which makes him unviable within 2-3 days.

If listeriosis did not have time to infect the placenta and the fetus became infected during childbirth, then in some children without the development of sepsis, meningitis or meningoencephalitis with a severe course is diagnosed after 2-3 weeks.

Diagnosis of listeriosis presents significant difficulties due to the variety of clinical manifestations and similarity with a number of other more common diseases (toxoplasmosis, syphilis, herpetic, cytomegalovirus, staphylococcal infection, yersiniosis, etc.). Therefore, the diagnosis cannot be made on the basis of the clinical picture alone. Anamnesis data, including epidemiological data, in combination with a characteristic clinical picture, can only suggest listeriosis. To confirm the diagnosis, a laboratory test of the patient’s blood, stool, urine, and secretions is necessary, which consists of detecting listeria or finding specific antibodies in the blood serum, the level of which increases over the course of the disease.

Treatment of listeriosis is not always successful, because... The diagnosis is usually made late, and Listeria is characterized by rapid spread and damage to the central nervous system, where access to drugs is difficult. Among the antibiotics, ampicillin is most effective in suppressing Listeria, which in severe cases is prescribed in combination with gentamicin or biseptol. Treatment should be long-term (up to 6 weeks) in cases of sepsis, meningoencephalitis or brain abscesses. Since listeriosis develops, as a rule, against the background of immune deficiency, the administration of immunocorrective drugs is indicated: imunofan, thymalin, myelopid, immunoglobulins, etc. In the complex therapy of listeriosis, detoxification solutions, dehydrating agents (mannitol, furasemide), blood plasma, and symptomatic agents are used.

Prevention of listeriosis consists of carrying out veterinary, sanitary and sanitary measures in populated areas, in livestock farms and enterprises for processing products of animal origin. Anti-epidemic measures provide for separate keeping of raw and ready-to-eat consumption of products, mandatory heat treatment of meat and dairy dishes, bacteriological examination of workers in catering departments, agro-industrial complexes, meat and dairy plants.

Pregnant people or people at risk should be excluded from work related to the care of animals or raw materials and products obtained from them. They should beware of consuming raw or undercooked dairy and meat products, as well as unwashed and rotting vegetables. To prevent listeriosis in newborns, pregnant women with an unfavorable obstetric history are subject to mandatory screening for listeriosis. If they are found to carry bacteria or have a local infection, they should be treated with antibiotics. Generalized listeria infection is an indication for termination of pregnancy.

V.V. MALEEV, professor,
Central Research Institute of Epidemiology
Ministry of Health of Russia
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