Nowadays, ceviche is a trendy Peruvian raw fish dish, along with sushi, anchovies in vinegar, or smoked fish. However, it is not as good as everyone thinks during pregnancy, although it contains excellent essential nutrients for the development of the fetus. Here we leave you some recommendations for this food during pregnancy.
What is ceviche?
Ceviche is a dish of Peruvian origin that mainly contains fish or seafood marinated and seasoned with citrus juice. This food is considered a risk, such as sushi because it does not have any heat treatment that ends with the possible parasites it may have. The most prominent is anisakid, which can cause problems in the development of the fetus.
It can also transmit the bacterium listeria, which causes an infection called listeriosis that can cause complications as serious as intrauterine death, hypotrophy, and premature birth. It can also cause potentially serious infections after birth.
This type of fish may present other hazards, such as the appearance of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Vibrio, which is mainly found in marine fish living where there is a mixture of fresh water and marine water and is also eliminated by the above-mentioned processes. Campylobacter is another pathogenic microorganism found in fish and raw mollusks. Another risk of fresh and raw fish is that it can contain parasites such as tapeworm, which, in severe cases, can subtract from the body the nutrients needed for the development of the baby.
Therefore, ceviche is a food that can carry risks during pregnancy, so it is advisable not to eat it during these months.
It can also transmit the bacterium listeria, which causes an infection called listeriosis that can cause complications as serious as intrauterine death, hypotrophy, and premature birth. It can also cause potentially serious infections after birth.
This type of fish may present other hazards, such as the appearance of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Vibrio, which is mainly found in marine fish living where there is a mixture of fresh water and marine water and is also eliminated by the above-mentioned processes. Campylobacter is another pathogenic microorganism found in fish and raw mollusks. Another risk of fresh and raw fish is that it can contain parasites such as tapeworm, which, in severe cases, can subtract from the body the nutrients needed for the development of the baby.
Therefore, ceviche is a food that can carry risks during pregnancy, so it is advisable not to eat it during these months.
If you go to a restaurant, remember that the law requires that all fish be frozen before being eaten raw, but do not take risks if you do not know how to comply with the restaurant or not comply with hygiene measures.
Other fish you should be careful with
As with ceviche, the same precautions and care should be taken with other raw fish, such as pickled anchovies, pickled fish, sushi, sashimi, raw fish roe, herring, and smoked fish.
Finally, it is necessary to remember that large fish such as fresh tuna, swordfish, carp, shark, and shad, concentrate a large amount of methylmercury. It is necessary to reduce the recommended amount in pregnant women, so as not to exceed 0.7 grams of this type of fish per kg of weight of the pregnant woman per week. This methylmercury can cause serious damage to fetal development, so you should be careful about the food you eat during these months.