View the Health Heart Book

Free

E-Newsletters

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer
Connect with others who've been there. Share stories. Learn. Join Mayo Clinic's
online community.

continued:

Pregnancy nutrition: Foods to avoid during pregnancy

Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables

To eliminate any harmful bacteria, thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables and cut away damaged portions. Avoid raw sprouts of any kind — including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean — which also might contain disease-causing bacteria. Be sure to cook sprouts thoroughly.

Avoid large quantities of vitamin A

Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women age 19 and older get 2,565 international units (IU) of vitamin A daily. For perspective, 3 ounces of cooked beef liver contains 27,185 IU and 3 ounces of cooked chicken liver contains 12,325 IU.

Avoid excess caffeine

Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby's heart rate. While further research is needed, some studies suggest that drinking too much caffeine during pregnancy might be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Because of the potential effects on your developing baby, your health care provider might recommend limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than 200 milligrams a day during pregnancy. For perspective, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, an 8-ounce cup of brewed tea contains about 47 milligrams and a 12-ounce caffeinated cola soft drink contains about 29 milligrams.

Avoid herbal tea

There's little data on the effects of specific herbs on developing babies. As a result, avoid drinking herbal tea unless your health care provider says it's OK — even the types of herbal tea marketed specifically to pregnant women.

Avoid alcohol

One drink isn't likely to hurt your baby, but no level of alcohol has been proved safe during pregnancy. The safest bet is to avoid alcohol entirely.

Consider the risks. Mothers who drink alcohol have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Too much alcohol during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause facial deformities, heart problems, low birth weight and mental retardation. Even moderate drinking can impact your baby's brain development.

If you're concerned about alcohol you drank before you knew you were pregnant or you think you need help to stop drinking, consult your health care provider.

Previous page
(2 of 2)
References
  1. Food don'ts. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.4women.gov/pregnancy/mom-to-be-tools/pregnancy_food_donts.pdf. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  2. Fish facts. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.4women.gov/pregnancy/mom-to-be-tools/fish-facts.pdf. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  3. Hibbeln J, et al. Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): An observational cohort study. The Lancet. 2007;369:578.
  4. What you need to know about mercury in fish and shellfish. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  5. FDA/EPA advisory on seafood consumption still current. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01382.html. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  6. Fresh and frozen seafood: Selecting and serving it safely. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM239497.pdf. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  7. Listeriosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/listeriosis/. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  8. Food safety for moms-to-be. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm081785.htm. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  9. Caffeine and pregnancy. Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/caffeine.pdf. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  10. Weng X, et al. Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: A prospective cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2008;198:279.
  11. Care study group. Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and risk of fetal growth restriction: A large prospective observational study. British Medical Journal. 2008;337:a2332.
  12. Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin A and carotenoids. National Institutes of Health. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina/. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  13. ACOG committee opinion No. 462: Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2010;116:467.
  14. Routine prenatal care. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/prenatal_care_4/prenatal_care__routine__full_version__2.html. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  15. Alcohol and pregnancy. Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/alcohol.pdf. Accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
  16. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/PolicyDoc.pdf. Accessed Feb. 14, 2011.
  17. Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 15, 2011.
  18. Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 26, 2011.
PR00109 May 28, 2011

© 1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger