More advice for pregnant women?

Just a quick blog post today, relating to an unusual article that I came across following a discussion on a parenting forum. It is a piece in the Daily Mail about the dangers of hepatitis E in pork sausages. In particular the rather sensationalist comments in the article about the 1 in 5 pregnant women who contract hepatitis E will die, it seemed another example of overly dramatic information being presented to a group that is already feeling vulnerable. The article gives advice from 'experts' says that sausages should be cooked at 158F for 20 minutes. It is not clear from the sentences in the article who this particular 'expert' or group of 'experts' are, as there is mention of several groups/individuals in the piece. Now, as a vegetarian I don't know if expecting people to cook pork sausages for 20 minutes is excessive! I cook all of my sausages at 180F for at least 20 minutes so I figured it was probably similar for meat eaters, which would imply that the risks were lessened for the meat-eating pregnant women than being implied.

This is not the first piece of advice in the media for pregnant women in recent months. One of the most controversial press reports (across various news outlets) appeared in June of this year. It was the advice about what to avoid during pregnancy and included such gems as new non-stick frying pans. It seems that where ever pregnant women turn someone is offering advice. It is not simply the amount of advice that is offered it is the range and fact that the advice can often be contradictory. Pregnancy is not a time to start stressing people out, there is already enough going on without being bombarded with 'advice'. If a pregnant woman were to follow all of the advice that was out there I am sure very few would feel confident enough to leave the house, let alone eat. Upon seeing the midwife she asked if I had read the articles in the press with the long lists of potentially dangerous things, which include:

• non-stick frying pans
• buying new fabrics
• moisturisers
• new furniture

when I said I had seen it and thought the list seemed rather long. Her reply was that you couldn't live with such a long and restrictive list. Everything in proportion and trying not to let the fear of the unknown from gripping you. It seemed like easier advice to follow! I have come to the conclusion that the NHS guides to pregnancy are the right balance of informative without striking undue fear.

*As an aside, I enjoyed the headline of the piece 'Could as many as 10 pork sausages[...]hepatitis E virus?' when in fact the article meant and stated 10%! If it were 10 pork sausages that is a very different story!