Protect your pregnancy from Listeria
Listeria is a harmful germ that can be in some food.
Listeria illness is rare. Every year, 4 in 100,000 pregnant people in the U.S. get sick with Listeria.
But it can harm your baby. Sadly, 1 in 4 pregnant people who get this illness lose their pregnancy or their baby shortly after birth. That’s because the germ can spread to your baby and harm them while you are pregnant, even if you don’t feel very sick.
You can take steps to protect your baby.
Choose safer food options. See foods not to eat and foods to choose instead.
Check for recalled foods contaminated with Listeria: www.foodsafety.gov/recalls-and-outbreaks
Call a healthcare provider right away if you have a fever and feel more tired and achy than normal. Let them know if you ate a recalled food in the past two months or are worried about something you ate. (This is because Listeria illness can sometimes start many weeks later.) Early treatment can help save your baby.
Print this 2-page factsheet about foods not to eat and foods to choose instead to protect your pregnancy from Listeria.
