In the summer heat, the sun is scorching the earth, and everyone is eager to find a trace of coolness to relieve the body's heat. The ringing bell of the ice cream van attracts children and adults to stop by; the aroma of tiramisu in the bakery makes people want to savour the sweetness and coolness. However, for pregnant women, these seemingly normal summer pleasures may hide an unknown health risk - the threat of Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is like a cunning and tenacious ‘little troublemaker’ in nature. It is everywhere, hidden in food. Even when the weather is cold and the refrigerator is freezing, it can continue to grow. When given the chance, it can slip into our bodies unnoticed through the food we eat. For most people, if they are unfortunate enough to be attacked by it, it may just be an upset stomach and fever, which are not serious symptoms. However, if these symptoms are found in pregnant women, weak elderly people or children, Listeria can become a real ‘villain’. It can make these people very sick and may even cause irreparable damage, like a dangerous trap hidden in everyday life.
Listeria monocytogenes is an invisible assassin that hides in food and can be very dangerous for mothers with babies. During pregnancy, the mother's body is like a warm harbour, and for her baby to grow up in it, her immune system will deliberately become gentler and less ‘severe’ in its fight against outsiders. However, this makes it easier for an unwanted guest like Listeria to take advantage of the situation. Once this ‘assassin’ has slipped into the mother's body, it can become so cunning that it can break through her last line of defence to protect her baby - like a brave knight trying to break into a fortified castle. Not only does it threaten the mother's health, but even more frighteningly, it can take direct aim at the baby and bring harm to the baby, which may result in the baby being in danger in the mother's womb, or even not being able to come into the world, or being born to face serious health problems such as infections and meningitis, which are heartbreaking conditions.
In the hot summer, ice cream and tiramisu are like cool pixies that can always bring a touch of sweetness and coolness to our dry and hot hearts. But do you know? These two can help to reduce the summer heat, for pregnant women is like a ‘time bomb’! Tiramisu, although delicious, but the production process may use raw eggs. Raw eggs are like a ‘little paradise’ for bacteria, especially salmonella, which love to make trouble and often like to hide inside. Add to this the dairy products and fruits that may be in the tiramisu, and it's like a ‘feast’ for the bacteria, giving them a chance to multiply.
It's not that hard to fight the wily listeria, just remember these few tips below. Firstly, when buying food, pick those big brands and shops that you can trust to make sure that every bite you put in your mouth is safe and reliable. When it comes to cold, uncooked food, especially desserts made with raw eggs and dairy products that have not been specially treated, just hold back and don't let them become a regular fixture on the table. After all, safety is always more important than a passing craving. Let's talk about food storage and production, we have to find a suitable ‘home’ for the food, do not let them put a gas, but also to avoid them between the ‘string of doors’, to avoid bacteria taking advantage of the opportunity to make trouble. If you make your food, the ingredients must be fresh and the production process must be clean as if bathing the food, so that they become clean. Personal hygiene can not be ignored, remember to wash your hands before and after meals, with cutlery and kitchen utensils must also be clean and dry, as if for the bacteria to close a ‘door’, so that they can not take advantage of.
So, pregnant mums have to be more careful, like a brave guardian, always on guard, not letting any hint of danger close to their little ones.
