TOXOPLASMOSIS in pregnancy - check if it also threatens you

Toxoplasmosis can be caught from a sick cat by eating contaminated fruit or vegetables, or fresh meat. To find out if toxoplasmosis is harmful to you, you should have your blood tested for antibodies.

More than half of women have had an infection, although they do not know it. This means that inpregnancythey do not have to fear the disease as much as their friends who have not been infected with the protozoan so far. Since infection withtoxoplasmosisbefore pregnancy means protection against this disease during pregnancy, is it possible to somehow check it in advance, even before conceiving a baby? You can. It is enough to test the blood for the presence ofantibodies . The evidence of a past infection is the appearance of specific antibodies in the blood, the so-called IgG classes that appear 2-4 weeks after infection and persist for years, usually for the rest of their lives. Every pregnant woman who has not checked the level of anti-toxoplasmosis antibodies in her blood so far should have it tested. When it turns out that she has not contracted toxoplasmosis, i.e. IgG concentration is negative, she should strictly follow the rules that will allow her to avoid infection during pregnancy. It is also important to check your antibody levels regularly every 3 months. However, then the detection of IgM antibodies is more important than IgG.

Toxoplasmosis - antibody testing

They are produced about a week after infection. After a few weeks, their number decreases until they completely disappear from the blood after a few months. So they are evidence of a fresh infection that is particularly dangerous during pregnancy. If it turns out that you are infected, it does not immediately mean problems. Not every infection is tantamount to defects in a child. First, infection with the protozoan toxoplasmosis can be treated, reducing the risk of the protozoa passing through the placenta - women infected during pregnancy usually take the drug spiramycin (with short breaks) until the end of pregnancy. In addition, the infection could have occurred shortly before conceiving the child. In such a situation, it is worth performing a so-called IgG avidity. It allows to determine whether the infection is fresh (low avidity) or several months or years earlier (high avidity). Testing avidity can sometimes help doctors make a treatment decision for the futurewe have an antibiotic.

Interpretation of toxoplasmosis test results

If your gynecologist does not ask you to test your anti-toxoplasmosis antibodies, do the tests at your own expense. However, avoid research in regular private laboratories. Sometimes the results obtained in them can be misleading. It's best to visit a specialist clinic, e.g. at an infectious diseases hospital. Contrary to appearances, the tests performed there are not at all more expensive, and sometimes even cheaper than those performed in private institutions. The cost is about PLN 40-45 for one type of antibodies.