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The danger of cats to pregnant women - Toxoplasmosis

 pregnant women - Toxoplasmosis

The danger of cats to pregnant women - Toxoplasmosis

 Are you afraid to approach cats during pregnancy?  Do many warn you against petting her and having fun with her?  Confused about getting rid of your pet cat for fear of your unborn baby?  During my pregnancy, I went to the doctor for a consultation about cats as my mother keeps two cats and my sister is very attached to them.  I was afraid that he would tell me to get rid of them to preserve my fetus.  One of my acquaintances contracted toxoplasmosis while she was pregnant without ever being near cats.  And if you are wondering like me, I will tell you in the following lines what are the effects of cats on pregnant women?  And what is cat disease in addition to how to prevent cat disease, continue reading.


  • What are the effects of cats on pregnant women?

Toxoplasmosis is transmitted through the parasite Toxoplasma that lives in the intestines of cats, and it may also be transmitted through their droppings.  But some doctors assert that there is no harm from cats to pregnant women if they have received the necessary vaccinations.  And that toxoplasmosis can be caused by something completely different than cats.  It is important to know the following information about this disease:

1- For non-pregnant women and normal people, they may not show any symptoms of this disease except for what looks like the flu.

2- Toxoplasmosis for a pregnant woman causes mental illness or blindness in the child.

3- The risk increases according to the gestational age at the time of infection, especially during the third trimester.

4- The expectant mother can transmit the infection to the fetus through the placenta, and the chances of transmission of infection in the first months of pregnancy are less than in the last months.

5- If the infection is transmitted to the fetus, symptoms usually do not appear at birth, but over time, children suffer from difficulties in learning, seeing, and hearing.

6- There are several ways to ensure that the infection is not transmitted to the fetus by examining the water surrounding the fetus, ultrasound can detect infection in approximately one-third of the fetus, and a blood test can be done immediately after birth.

7- Toxoplasmosis can be treated during pregnancy by taking antibiotics, and the earlier the infection is detected, the greater the chance of treatment and prevention of transmission to the fetus.

8- If the infection is transmitted to the child, treatment can reduce the severity of the disease while continuing to take the treatment during the child’s first year or for a longer period

  • cat disease for pregnant women

We often hear about toxoplasmosis, or toxoplasmosis, which affects pregnant women.  Toxoplasmosis is defined as a parasitic infection that affects the health of the fetus, and this infection can be acquired from contact with the feces of infected cats or by eating raw meat that carries these parasites.  This disease usually occurs only once.  The infection is transmitted to cats by eating contaminated raw meat. It is not limited to cats. The infection can be transmitted through other animals, but cats only carry the infection in their feces.  Humans may catch the infection by eating raw animal meat.

Symptoms usually do not appear with toxoplasmosis, but when they do appear, the symptoms are similar to those of the flu and include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.  Toxicosis can be diagnosed with a blood test to determine whether you are currently infected and whether you have been infected in the past.  If a woman is infected with toxoplasmosis 6-9 months before pregnancy, the body usually secretes antibodies to the disease and is not transmitted to the fetus.

  1. How to prevent cat disease during pregnancy
  2. To protect yourself and your fetus from cat disease, be sure to follow the following tips:
  3. Thoroughly cook food, especially meat.
  4. Wash cutlery, dishes, and hands in hot, soapy water after contact with raw foods.
  5.  Avoid contact with cat feces, wear gloves when cleaning, and wash hands thoroughly afterward.
  6. Do not allow domestic cats to go out into the street.
  7. It is recommended to change the cat's litter daily, as it takes 1 to 5 days for the parasite to multiply and become contagious.
  8. Wear gloves and always wash your hands after cleaning vegetables or handling raw meat.
  9. Avoid exposure to stray or unknown cats, as they may increase the chance of contracting the parasite due to their weak immune system, and then they can infect you.

In this article, we talked about the fact that cats are harmful to pregnant women and cat disease, and the analysis of cat disease for pregnant women is not one of the basic examinations during pregnancy, but you can ask the doctor if you feel some danger to contact with cats or are concerned about some symptoms. Antibodies to infection are detected with a blood test, and they take three weeks to show after infection.



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