Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy: What Increases Your Risk

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What Increases Your Risk

You can lower your risk of getting toxoplasmosis by avoiding possible sources of the toxoplasma parasite. Your risk increases if you:

• Eat undercooked meat or any food that has touched raw meat. Any meat is potentially infected.
• Eat or drink contaminated fruits, vegetables, or water.
• Eat with unwashed hands or utensils that have touched raw meat.
• Clean a cat's litter box and fail to wash your hands afterward, or breathe in cat litter dust.
• Garden or work the soil without gloves and hand-washing. The parasite can survive in soil for months after being left behind by a cat.

Risks to the fetus

The further along in pregnancy you become infected by toxoplasmosis, the greater the chance of fetal infection. But the earlier fetal infection occurs, the greater the risk of more severe problems after birth.²

Any baby born with toxoplasmosis needs treatment to prevent later problems from the infection.

Last updated:	June 27, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Gregory A L Davies, MD, FRCSC, FACOG - Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC