Can I Eat Game meat While Pregnant?
Limit / use cautionGeneral guidance from ACOG. Please always check with your provider.
Game meat like venison can have a place in a healthy pregnancy diet when it is cooked thoroughly and sourced with a little care.
Why
ACOG notes that game meat should be cooked all the way through, because like other meats it can carry parasites and bacteria such as Toxoplasma, that are destroyed by proper cooking. There is an added consideration with wild game taken using lead ammunition: tiny lead fragments can spread through the meat, and lead exposure during pregnancy can harm fetal development.
How to enjoy it safely
Cook game meat thoroughly using a food thermometer, generally to at least 160F for ground game and 165F for any game bird, and avoid serving it rare. Choose meat harvested without lead shot when you can, trim generously around any wound channel, and lean on commercially raised or inspected game when that option is available.
When to ask your provider
Ask your Garden OB/GYN provider for guidance if you regularly eat wild game or are unsure whether your supply was taken with lead ammunition.
This page is for general education and is not medical advice. It summarizes guidance from ACOG, which can change, and individual situations vary, so please confirm with your Garden OB/GYN provider.
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