Re:Can I drink egg nog while I'm pregnant?
If you are drinking egg nog you got from the store, it is pasteurized and is perfectly safe. Any eggs that may have been used in the making of that eggnog have been cooked enough to rid the egg nog of anything dangerous. If you are drinking homemade egg nog, however, it generally contains raw eggs. As many eggs are infected with Salmonella, you probably should avoid drinking that egg nog. Salmonella infections can lead to nausea, diarrhea, fever and headache. The dehydration you can get from the diarrhea and the fever can be dangerous to the fetus, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. It is also dangerous to have an active infection at the time of vaginal delivery as there can be contamination of the fetus with the Salmonella at the time of birth and the infant can get Salmonella.
There are at least some studies that link Salmonella and stillbirth—another good reason to avoid getting a Salmonella infection during pregnancy. There are other things in your life that are contaminated with Salmonella. Animals, such as turtles, lizards, dogs, cats and other farm animals can be contaminated with Salmonella and you should wash your hands after playing with your pet or handling farm animals.
Chickens are also commonly infected with Salmonella so you should be careful when using a cutting board to cut up a whole chicken. You should wash the cutting board in hot soapy water after contact with a chicken and you should wash your hands after handling chicken that you are cooking. In fact, it is from infected chickens that the infected eggs come from. You should avoid raw eggs in any form, including licking the batter from a recipe in which raw eggs have been added. Eggs should be cooked thoroughly before eating.
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