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undercooked pork
Hi. Im 38 weeks pregnant. Husband and i went to a friends house for dinner. The pork chops they served us were very very undercooked. We both ate them anyway to not be rude. What can happen to us?
Most likely, you will both be fine. If you are feeling ill, running a fever, or having nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, you both need to seek medical care ASAP and let the healthcare provider know that you recently consumed under-cooked pork.
If you are feeling unwell, Mom, I would encourage you to call your doctor or midwife ASAP given that you are an expectant mother. If you are feeling okay but are worried (and I assume you are given this question), it would be very reasonable for you to call your doctor or midwife to discuss your concerns. I doubt they would want to give you anything to prevent illness, but giving them a heads up, just in case, is not a bad idea.
As far as I am aware, there are two concerns when consuming undercooked meat, including pork. The first is bacterial contamination and the second is parasites. Both cause GI upset and fever within hours to days of eating the meat. In the case of parasites, additional symptoms, typically involving the entire body are experienced a week or two into the parasitic infection. With raw pork, the primary parasite of concern is the trichinella worm which causes an infection called Trichinellosis or Trichinosis. I am not going to go into detail about this infection as the likelihood you have or will get it is minimal and I do not want to cause you unnecessary stress or upset -- but please be reassured, there are safe and effective medications that can be used to treat it. Give yourself a week or two, then google if you'd like.
In the future, don't be afraid to speak up when something like this happens. It's not rude. We only get one body and it is so important to take good care of it. You can be safe *and* polite. You are protecting your health, the health of your unborn baby, and the health of your hosts.. "Thank you so much for cooking! This meat is delicious but I think it needs to be cooked a for a few more minutes."
If you are feeling unwell, Mom, I would encourage you to call your doctor or midwife ASAP given that you are an expectant mother. If you are feeling okay but are worried (and I assume you are given this question), it would be very reasonable for you to call your doctor or midwife to discuss your concerns. I doubt they would want to give you anything to prevent illness, but giving them a heads up, just in case, is not a bad idea.
As far as I am aware, there are two concerns when consuming undercooked meat, including pork. The first is bacterial contamination and the second is parasites. Both cause GI upset and fever within hours to days of eating the meat. In the case of parasites, additional symptoms, typically involving the entire body are experienced a week or two into the parasitic infection. With raw pork, the primary parasite of concern is the trichinella worm which causes an infection called Trichinellosis or Trichinosis. I am not going to go into detail about this infection as the likelihood you have or will get it is minimal and I do not want to cause you unnecessary stress or upset -- but please be reassured, there are safe and effective medications that can be used to treat it. Give yourself a week or two, then google if you'd like.
In the future, don't be afraid to speak up when something like this happens. It's not rude. We only get one body and it is so important to take good care of it. You can be safe *and* polite. You are protecting your health, the health of your unborn baby, and the health of your hosts.. "Thank you so much for cooking! This meat is delicious but I think it needs to be cooked a for a few more minutes."
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