Toxoplasmosis is a common infection which affects about 1 in every 500 pregnant women.
There is about a 40% chance that your baby will be infected if you catch toxoplasmosis while pregnant.This could result in miscarriage or stillbirth, or your baby could be born with brain damage or blindness. If you give birth to a healthy baby, there is still a chance it will develop problems as it gets older.
Cat faeces is a primary source of the toxoplasmosis parasite. The parasite is commonly found in litter trays and soil. Other animals can pick up toxoplasmosis from contaminated soil so you should be careful with certain foods when you are pregnant.
To avoid toxoplasmosis when you are pregnant you should follow these rules:
 Avoid changing cat litter and make sure the tray is throughly cleaned with boiling water
Avoid gardening, but if you must do it you should wear gardening gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat and avoid cured meats (such as smoked ham)
If you are cooking meat, ensure it is cooked all the way through and piping hot
Wash fruit, vegetables and salads with water before eating them
Avoid all unpasteurised dairy products. Check the label if you are unsure
Taxoplasmosis is also common in sheep so if you live on a farm, don't handle lambing ewes, their afterbirth, newborn lambs, or the clothing of anyone else involved in lambing.
It is common for people to have a mild form of toxoplasmosis at some point in their life without knowing. If this happens you produce antibodies which remain in your body to fight off the infection if you become infected again. Therefore, you have lifelong immunity. It will, however, pose a risk to the unborn baby whose immune system is not fully developed.
It can take anywhere between two and 21 days for you to start showing symptoms after you are infected. Some people have no symptoms at all, but you might have a headache, sore throat, fever or swollen glands. It takes about 4-8 weeks for the infection to pass to your baby.
First TrimesterIf you are infected with toxoplasmosis in the first 13 weeks of your pregnancy there is a 15% chance your baby will be affected. If it is infected there is a high risk that you will have a miscarriage or the baby will be born with brain damage or eye problems.
Second TrimesterIf you are infected with toxoplasmosis when you are 14-26 weeks pregnant, the risk of your baby being infected increases to about 25%. If it is infected, there is less chance of a miscarriage, but there is still a high risk your baby will be born with damage to the brain or eyes.
Third TrimesterIf you are infected with toxoplasmosis after week 27 of your pregnancy, the risk of passing on the infection to your baby increases to about 65%. Even if your baby is born healthy, there is a chance it will develop problems with the eyes as it gets older. For the first year of your baby's life it may have to have blood tests every two months to see if they are infected. Antibiotics are available to reduce the chance of infected babies developing problems.
If you think you may have come into contact with toxoplasmosis you should see your GP immediately. After three weeks you will be given a blood test to see if you are infected. If you have caught it you may be given antibiotics to prevent the infection being passed to your baby.
If you are more than 15 weeks pregnant when you become infected with taxoplasmosis, you may have an amniocentesis test. This involves taking fluid from the womb to see if your baby has also been infected. There are antibiotics to reduce the severity of the infection in the baby. If your baby is infected your doctor will discuss the treatment options with you.
May 2011 | 
Pregnancy And Contact Lenses
