Avoid canned foods (especially tomato soup) in pregnancy

[Scremeegg]

By chance, I've just come across loads of sources saying that canned foods should be avoided, particularly in pregnancy, due to the BPA coating inside tins. It's especially the case with foods like tomato soups which seem more likely to leach the chemical.

I knew about plastics but can't believe I'd not heard anything anywhere about tins. NHS says nothing.

I started this pregnancy with a balanced attitude that I'd avoid major food risks i.e. toxoplasmosis in rare meat, liver because of vitamin A etc and follow guidelines but be sensible and use moderation, and not get carried away.

But finding there might be something wrong with our baby though I've been kicking myself for not being even more careful.

Everytime I find something that I think is a good pregnancy choice (currently enjoying soups with whole meal bread) I suddenly find it's widely contraindicated (by large scale studies - not just scaremongering nonsense)

I feel like I am in some sort of Final Destination scenario where everyone I correct one environmental factor that might affect our baby, life finds another one!

10 weeks pregnant here and all I can stomach is ham sandwiches and tomato soup - no lie!

I had a toxoplasmosis scare during this pregnancy. Actually only about 20-30 per cent of the UK population are immune. Even so, my doctor sat me down and pointed out that even though they were testing me, it is very, very rare. And even if the mother has it, there's only a c. 10% chance the baby will get it up to 12 weeks. After that the risk that the baby gets it does go up, but conversely the risk of serious harm to the baby goes down.

Yes, you can get toxoplasmosis from uncooked ham. I think the majority of people (not all) who eat ham in pregnancy in this country are probably eating cooked ham. But everyone has to look at the guidance and then decide for themselves what risks they are willing to take.

I highly recommend a book called 'Expecting Better' which takes a more scientific approach to some of the decisions women make during pregnancy.

The only thing I craved in pregnancy but didn’t touch was Brussels pate due to high iron content.

Hmm, well in my first pregnancy I craved tomato soup. Ate / drank (do you eat or drink soup?) litres of the stuff. Son is 5 now and it doesn't seem to have harmed him. He hates tomatoes though...

I must also recommend Expecting Better by Emily Oster.

Also IIRC most cases of toxo in this country are caused by not properly washing fruit and veg rather than cured meat products.