But in order to avoid a dangerous disease for the child, it is necessary to carry out this examination in advance, even at the stage of preparation for the forthcoming pregnancy, not less than six months. After all, if it turns out that a woman was recently infected, then toxoplasmosis can be transmitted to an unborn child even three months after the diagnosis of infection.
What is toxoplasmosis?
This disease can occur at any age. Most often (in 90% of cases) it passes without any symptoms, and the person does not even suspect that he has been ill. The remaining 10% may have signs of an ordinary SARS - a runny nose, low temperature, body aches that quickly pass.
This disease is caused by toxoplasm of gondii - the simplest single-celled, which settles for some time in various tissues of the body (about 17 weeks). After this, a person acquires immunity, and even if he again encounters toxoplasmosis, it is already safe for the body.
There is an opinion that if a woman has been in contact with the vectors of the disease since her childhood - cats, then she has nothing to fear, and she has already experienced toxoplasm in any case. This is fundamentally wrong and extremely irresponsible to deceive on this score. Susceptibility of the human body to toxoplasmosis is quite low, and the probability of infection is only 15%. But all the same, everyone has a chance to catch this disease.
Is toxoplasmosis harmful during pregnancy, and what?
Like any viral disease, this also affects the child to be born, and not in the best way. The degree of influence on the health of the baby depends very much on the time when the infection occurred:
- Paradoxically, in the first trimester, toxoplasm can cause malformations in only 15% of cases, in contrast to other diseases that are most dangerous in this period, when the baby's organs are laid;
- with an increase in the period of pregnancy, the risk of perinatal damage to the fetus also increases - in the second trimester it is 30%;
- immediately before the birth of a child, in the third trimester already reveals about 60% of cases of intrauterine disease of the child with toxoplasmosis.
Not everyone knows what dangerous toxoplasmosis is for pregnant women, and yet the consequences of it are disappointing:
- in the first trimester, most often, because of toxoplasmosis, miscarriage occurs;
- after birth, frequent developmental defects of the eyes, brain, liver, spleen, multiple defects;
- neonatal and perinatal death.
Possible consequences of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy often cause a woman to interrupt her early on, because the risk of having a sick baby is very high. Treatment of infection is only carried out in the second-third trimester with potent drugs, which also have a negative effect on the fetus. The chance that the baby will be healthy, unfortunately, is not great.
The danger of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can be somewhat exaggerated when it comes to infecting a pet. After all, if an animal is tested for this infection and does not contact other animals, the pregnant woman can continue to communicate with her beloved cat.
It's another matter when a pregnant woman often deals with domestic animals. In this case, it is more problematic to protect yourself from infection, when a woman does not have immunity to toxoplasm. Any contact with animals should be avoided.
Where can you get toxoplasmosis?
Cutting raw meat and fish can result in infection. After all, the smallest parasites can penetrate the body through small cuts or cracks in the skin. And, of course, cleaning the cat's toilet is not for pregnant women. In order to prevent the disease with toxoplasmosis, it is necessary to conduct all these actions in rubber gloves and wash hands thoroughly.