Wild nutrition during pregnancy

    A pregnant woman can eat both red and white meat, as long as they are well cooked. In the same way as beef or pork, can she also eat game meat such as pheasant, hare or deer? 

Consumed less frequently  beef or chicken , game meats nevertheless contain interesting nutrients. There are two main categories of game:

    During pregnancy, a pregnant woman must be vigilant about her diet. Due to the risk of food poisoning, it is not recommended to eat raw meat, fish and eggs as well as unpasteurized cheeses . Should game meat, generally consumed during the end-of-year holidays , also be excluded from the diet of expectant mothers? "  It all depends on the origin. In the past, game was the result of hunting. This meat was therefore mainly supplied by hunters. There are now game farms. The expectant mother can eat these meat products when they come from breeders, specialized butchers or supermarkets , because there is traceability following the same regulations and controls as ordinary meat. On the other hand, she must be careful when she is offered wild game from hunting". Furthermore, game meat must be well cooked to be consumed during pregnancy.

    From a nutritional point of view, game has benefits. It is a red meat, even for birds, which is lean. It is therefore lower in total lipids and saturated fats compared to other meat foods. Game also has the particularity of being higher in protein and iron compared to beef or poultry.

    The consumption of foods rich in iron is recommended during pregnancy. As a result of the increase in blood volume, iron requirements increase during pregnancy, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. A lack of iron can lead to anemia , an abnormal drop in the hemoglobin level in the blood. This complication can be very serious for both the mother-to-be and the fetus ( premature delivery, low birth weight ). "The iron content of game is high, especially pigeons. It can be interesting to consume it when you are expecting a child, provided that it is meat with reliable traceability ".

    Consuming game meat, especially wild game, nevertheless presents health risks. The bullets used during hunting contain lead, a metal with toxic effects. Whole projectiles may be present in the game, which represents a danger first for the teeth , and/or traces of lead may have spread in the meat. If lead is ingested, or breathed in other circumstances, we speak of lead poisoning , or lead poisoning, which can have toxic effects, even at low doses, over the long term.

    In adults, lead poisoning can result in damage to the nervous system, kidneys and spinal cord. As a pregnant woman, you must be even more careful, because it can cross the placental barrier and contaminate the fetus . Fetotoxic effects can cause mental or psychomotor retardation in the unborn child. As for the expectant mother, she is at greater risk of anemia or digestive disorders in the event of lead poisoning.

    As a pregnant woman, it is possible to eat red and white meats as long as they are well cooked. "These products must be cooked through. The cooking temperature must reach 80 degrees in the core to prevent the risk of food poisoning. A mother-to-be can therefore safely eat very well-cooked veal, lamb or chicken" . On the other hand, tartares , beef carpaccios, cold cuts  such as pâté , rare or marinated meat are prohibited during the nine months of pregnancy. And of course, alcohol is completely banned, especially champagne , which we like to accompany game during the end-of-year celebrations.

    Listeriosis  and  toxoplasmosis  are serious infections caused  by the bacterium Listeria and the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.  The consequences can be serious for the fetus when the pregnant woman contracts one of these pathologies. Listeriosis can be responsible for premature delivery or serious neonatal infection while toxoplasmosis can increase the risk of miscarriage.