Pregnant women warned that eating leftovers could cause deafness in unborn baby
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Pregnant women have been advised not to eat their child’s leftovers as they could catch a ‘stealth virus’ that could seriously harm their unborn child.
It’s a common routine adopted by many busy pregnant ladies – you rustle up your toddler or child's tea only to find yourself demolishing the leftovers before you chuck them in the bin. Waste not, want not!
But experts have warned that doing this when you're pregnant could be more harmful than you may think.
Eating the kids' leftovers could lead to their unborn child getting a little-known virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is a major cause for disability.
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Scientists at St George’s, University of London, have launched a trial to raise awareness of the dangers of getting CMV, as it may cause their children to have deafness, development delay and even cerebral palsy.
'Not enough people know about CMV'
Dr Anna Calvert, research fellow at St George’s, said:
‘One of the frustrations that families have is that they didn’t know anything about the virus.’
The congenital virus can be transmitted through children’s saliva, often found on their uneaten food left on the plate.
If you are pregnant and have other children under the age of six, CMV Action recommends taking the following precautionary measures:
- washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after changing nappies
- not kissing children on the mouth or cheek (kiss them on the forehead instead and give them lots of hugs)
- not sharing food, drinks or cutlery with children under six.
'CMV changed my life'
Gayle Book, 40, from Greenwich, told her heart-breaking story of how her son, Toby, contracted CMV from her before he was born.
Within nine months of his birth, doctors found that Toby had several disabilities to due to the virus, including deafness.
Gayle has had to quit her job in finance to take care of her son on a full-time basis. She said: 'it changed my life.’
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