Pregnancy Complications: Understanding Toxoplasmosis, Its Signs, and Potential Hazards
News Article: Understanding the Impact of Congenital Toxoplasmosis
Congenital toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, can have significant and long-lasting effects on a baby's development.
Toxoplasmosis can be contracted through various means, including cat poop, undercooked infected meat, improperly washed utensils used to handle infected meat, and drinking contaminated water. Pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, and infants are most prone to severe symptoms. In developed countries, about one in 200 pregnant women get infected, but the rate in India is not well-defined.
In pregnancy, symptoms of toxoplasmosis may include a fever over 100.4F, aching muscles, general flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and headaches. If there is a risk that you have been infected during pregnancy, further blood tests can determine how recent it through an IgM antibody count.
Congenital toxoplasmosis can cause lasting developmental and neurological deficits primarily through Central Nervous System (CNS) damage and sensory impairments. Sensorineural hearing loss, affecting up to 30% of affected newborns, can also impair communication skills. Neurodevelopmental issues, such as motor deficits, cognitive delays, and intellectual disabilities, often linked to sustained neuroinflammation caused by the parasite's presence in the brain, are common. Seizures and further neurologic impairments may develop as cysts of Toxoplasma gondii persist in the CNS. Vision problems, including neuroocular disease due to retinal lesions or chorioretinitis, are known manifestations of congenital toxoplasmosis.
Even infants who are asymptomatic at birth can develop delayed complications, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to reduce risks of serious developmental impairments. The parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier to form latent cysts in brain tissue, leading to chronic neuroinflammation that disrupts normal CNS function and development, explaining many of these long-term neurological sequelae.
In developed countries, about one in 200 pregnant women get infected with toxoplasmosis, but the rate in India is not well-defined. Pregnant women can be treated with antibiotics to prevent transmission to the baby. The antibiotic Spiramycin is often prescribed if the baby shows no sign of infection. Sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine may be recommended after the 16th week of pregnancy if the baby is infected.
IgM antibodies are produced immediately after an infection and take a few months to disappear. Their presence indicates that there has been an infection recently or within the last year. A stable IgM count suggests that you are immune to the infection. IgG antibodies are long-term antibodies and stay in the body for a lifetime to protect you from toxoplasmosis. Their presence indicates that there has been an infection in the past and you have immunity towards it. Decreasing IgM antibodies show that the infection has just subsided.
Toxoplasmosis is not transmitted from person to person unless there is a case of blood transfusion or organ transplant. In summary, congenital toxoplasmosis can cause lasting developmental and neurological deficits primarily through CNS damage and sensory impairments, with hearing loss and intellectual disability being common significant consequences. Early intervention improves outcomes but long-term monitoring is necessary for affected children.
