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Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy
What is toxoplasmosis of pregnancy? In France, every year since 2007, when a specific system for monitoring congenital toxoplasmosis was set up, 180 to 250 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis are reported each year, responsible for around 10 to 20 medical terminations of pregnancy.
Among the disorders caused at birth, the fetus is likely to present serious eye or neurological damage. Hence the importance of putting all the chances on your side to avoid being infected with toxoplasmosis!
Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women: what symptoms?
Most of the time, in 80%, toxoplasmosis goes unnoticed. Among the symptoms that should alert us:
- moderate fever (below 38 ° C);
- the presence of lymph nodes (mainly in the neck and at the base of the skull);
- a rash (small pink bumps) all over the body;
- often prolonged fatigue (several weeks or months), a headache;
- pain and stiffness in the joints and muscles (like with the flu).
In the presence of one of these symptoms, I go to my general practitioner!
A blood test to find out if you are immune to toxoplasmosis
The first thing is to know whether you are immune to toxoplasmosis or not, in other words if you have been infected in the past and therefore have developed immunity against it. Toxoplasma gondii, the pathogen responsible for toxoplasmosis. As soon as we are pregnant, we will have to have toxoplasmosis serology performed. This is a simple blood test. This prenatal examination is compulsory. If the test is positive, it means that we have already had the disease (thank you all the kitties that we have had or that we have kept!): we are therefore totally immune.
Otherwise, we never caught the disease. We are therefore not protected and our monitoring will then be strengthened. Every month, we must pass a serodiagnosis to detect a possible infection and begin an antibiotic treatment to protect the fetus.
Toxoplasmosis: foods prohibited during pregnancy
What foods to avoid when you are pregnant? If you are not immune to toxoplasmosis, there are a number of precautions you should take. Simple preventive measures offer you real protection against this disease. They start on the side of our diet. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted mainly through food infected with a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. To limit the risk of infection, it is recommended to:
- eat well-cooked meat, because good cooking destroys any parasite that may be present in the animal, avoiding, of course, steak tartare, grilled meats and Burgundy fondues;
- do not eat raw, smoked or salted cold meats;
- do not eat raw eggs;
- do not consume unpasteurized milk;
- thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables intended to be eaten raw;
- do not put your hands to your mouth or face when handling raw meat;
- use separate plates for raw meat and cooked foods.
Anti-toxoplasmosis tip
If your desire for rare meat is too strong, give yourself this little pleasure, but on the sole condition of freezing the meat before consumption, at -20 ° C for two days.
Pregnant toxoplasmosis: hygiene measures to limit the risks
The toxoplasmosis parasite can also hide in our backyard, kitchen and cat litter! Indeed, it grows in the earth. So, for all those who have a green thumb and want to continue gardening when pregnant, gloves are strongly recommended. Do not neglect, either, basic hygiene measures: se wash your hands with soap and water before each meal ; wash kitchen implements, sinks and countertops that have come into contact with raw meat or soil.
Toxoplasmosis: what to do with your cat?
Should You Get Rid of Your Cat During Pregnancy? No ! Most cats have had toxoplasmosis themselves and are therefore immune. If not, if your cat catches it, it will only be contaminating for 10 days. Contamination occurs by scratching or through its excreta, vectors of the toxoplasmosis parasite. Also, to limit the risks for your unborn baby:
- determine the serological status of your animal, to find out whether or not it is a carrier of the toxoplasmosis parasite.
- ask the future dad to take care of the cat litter, to be changed regularly, without forgetting to wash his crate in boiling water. If you have to do it yourself, do not forget to put on gloves so that you do not come into direct contact with the faeces;
- avoid storing litter in the kitchen;
- feed your cat cooked or canned products. ;
- do not adopt stray cats or kittens during pregnancy.