The term toxoplasmosis in pregnancy always scares mothers during this period, and with good reason, because even though it is an infection that is considered common for women, it can pose serious risks to the baby.

Cause of Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is caused by a protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii, which is found in raw and undercooked meats, contaminated soil, and especially in the feces of animals such as cats.

How to Detect Toxoplasmosis in Pregnancy

During prenatal care, the obstetrician will request tests that may show that the mother is already immune to toxoplasmosis in pregnancy. This is quite common, as it is natural for humans to develop immunity throughout life, and in these cases, the future mother doesn’t need to worry anymore.

On the other hand, for women with no immunity, toxoplasmosis in pregnancy can cause intellectual disability in the baby and blindness. Therefore, all care must be taken, maximum hygiene maintained, and raw and undercooked meats must be eliminated from the diet as well as raw foods in general should be avoided as much as possible.

The human body normally produces antibodies that fight off germs or bacteria trying to affect the body, and during pregnancy, two tests are requested for analysis, the IgG and IgM tests.

IgM indicates when the woman has recently had contact with the parasite, usually within about 7 days, whereas IgG indicates when the patient already has immunity against the disease because she developed toxoplasmosis at some point in her life.

For tests that show a positive IgM, monitoring is required, because after a period of about 1 month, the IgM will become IgG positive, indicating lifelong immunity.

What Is Checked in the Test

Therefore, in the requested blood test, what is checked is the IgG level for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy, which will indicate if the woman is already immune or, if negative, that she is vulnerable to infection and should take various precautions to avoid it. If there are already suspected signs of infection, the best course is to observe symptoms and consult a doctor if in doubt.

Some Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy can be asymptomatic or not, and when symptoms do occur, they include:

  • Chills
  • Muscle aches
  • High fever
  • Headaches
  • Swollen lymph nodes throughout the body

Fatigue, with a strong flu-like feeling, is also common during a toxoplasmosis infection in pregnancy, and symptoms usually appear on average 3 weeks after contact with the protozoan. These are symptoms the mother may experience, but in case the baby is infected during pregnancy, the less advanced the pregnancy, the greater the potential harm to the fetus.

There are risks of miscarriage and even the baby being stillborn, in addition to the previously mentioned symptoms such as blindness and intellectual disability. Another problem diagnosed due to toxoplasmosis infection in pregnancy is hydrocephalus in the baby, and it can affect other fetal organs as well.

How to Avoid Contact with Toxoplasmosis

If your tests show you are not immune to toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, extra care must be taken and the following measures must be strictly followed:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food
  • Make sure meats and foods in general are well cooked before eating
  • Wash fruits, vegetables, and greens well.
  • Be careful when gardening, as soil may be contaminated. Therefore, it is recommended to use gloves during this time
  • If you have a cat, assign the task of cleaning the litter box to someone else, or if this is not possible, always use gloves when doing it.

As for cats, if you have a vaccinated cat that does not go outdoors and does not have contact with other animals that may have the disease, there is a minimal chance that it has the disease and can transmit it to you.

But if you are in doubt and want to be sure, a toxoplasmosis test can be carried out by a veterinarian on your cat, just to be safe.

Treatment for Toxoplasmosis in Pregnancy

Unfortunately, treatment for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy is very limited. There aren’t many options except for the use of antibiotics to reduce the risk of the baby becoming infected. There are specific antibiotics suitable for each stage of pregnancy: spiramycin in the first trimester and folinic acid, sulfadiazine, and pyrimethamine in the second and third trimesters.

In some cases, the obstetrician may consider it appropriate to carry out a test called cordocentesis, which serves to check if the baby has been infected. This test is done by collecting a blood sample from the umbilical cord, and can only be performed after 18 weeks of gestation. If it is found that the baby contracted toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, treatment will only begin after birth.

See also: First Pregnancy – Initial Tests and Procedures

Photo: Ben Lowery, sean dreilinger, Stefan Pasch