What is toxoplasmosis?

How might I get infected?
If you eat something which has been infected with cat faeces, you can get the infection. Obviously you are not going to eat your pet moggy's poo (!), but soil (or possibly a children's sandpit) where a cat has been can be affected. The parasite can also enter the body through cuts or abrasions on the skin, which is why it's important to let other people do the gardening or change a litter tray when you are pregnant. Another option is to wear thick gloves to protect yourself.
If you eat raw or undercooked meat you are also at risk from exposure. Barbecues should be of special concern for pregnant women, not just because of toxoplasmosis but other food-related poisoning which can have a devastating affect on the unborn child, even if the woman normally considers herself to have 'a strong constitution'. It is important to store raw meat correctly, and to wash utensils and chopping boards etc thoroughly after preparing them during cooking. (It is preferable to have a separate chopping board for preparing raw meat.)
Unwashed vegetables and fruit are also dangerous so make sure you prepare your meals thoroughly or wash fruit and salads you have bought when you're out and about.
It is also possible to be infected by eating unpasteurised goats' milk products, though it is advisable to steer clear of all unpasteurised foods when you are pregnant, anyway. Additionally, when you are pregnant you should avoid contact with sheep, especially new lambs.

What if I live with a cat?
If you have a cat, there is a strong possibility that you will already have been infected by toxoplasmosis and be immune to new infection. Ask your doctor for a blood test if you are at all concerned.

How might if affect my unborn baby?
If you do have a positive blood test and you are aware that you caught the infection after getting pregnant (any time before that, you are safe), it can take between four and eight weeks for the infection to pass to your baby.
It is believed that only about 40 per cent of infections pass to the baby and much less (about 15 per cent) if the infection occurs during the first three months of the pregnancy. This rises to a 65 per cent chance of infection in the last trimester of pregnancy.
Infections which affect the baby in early or mid-term pregnancy can bring about miscarriage or stillbirth. Or the baby can develop abnormalities which include brain damage, deafness, blindness or epilepsy.
Infections contracted later in pregnancy, despite this being more likely, tend not to have such severe effects. Some problems may develop as the child grows and are often related to eye health.

What can be done about it?
Apart from exercising extreme care and caution with cats and uncooked foods (see How might I get infected? above), if you get a positive blood test and believe the infection to have happened during your pregnancy, there are certain treatments you can be offered.
If there has not been enough time for the infection to pass to your baby then you might be offered a specific antibiotic treatment to reduce the risk of infection passing on.
If there is a danger of the baby having been affected and you are more than 15 weeks gone, you can be offered amniocentisis, where a sample of amniotic fluid can be tested. In this case, antibiotics might help reduce the severity of the infection.
A scan might show the extent of physical abnormalities.
Close care of babies who have been infected with toxoplasmosis can help after the child is born.

What about breastfeeding?
It is safe to breastfeed as the infection is not transmitted in this way.

For more information and detailed leaflets or downloadable pdfs on the subject, you can visit website of the baby charity Tommy's for advice and support. Or visit the NHS Direct website.