По оценкам некоторых специалистов, в среднем, на the planet of toxoplasmosis is present in 80% of the population, but its prevalence in different regions is significantly different. Thus, in France there are 84% of carriers, in some Latin American countries - almost 95%, and in Russia only about 20% of the population. But such a "favorable" indicator does not mean that Russians can not worry. According to medical reports, toxoplasmosis in pregnancy in our country is diagnosed in 25% of women.
In most cases, it does not make itself felt,so pregnant women do not suspect that they are infected. But even "quiet" toxoplasmosis creates a deadly threat to the fetus, because the microorganisms that cause it, easily leak through the placenta.
The population has misconceptionswhere does toxoplasmosis come from. This leads to the fact that pregnant women are trying to protect themselves from the unlikely cause of infection, not attaching importance to the real source of threat. The article offers comprehensive information on toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, reveals its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment methods.
Types of microorganisms parasitic in man,A few dozens. These are mostly bacteria. There are not many protopists among pathogenic microbes, but those that exist can cause severe, sometimes fatal diseases. These are the protists of Toxoplasma gondii (the common abbreviation is T. gondii). Their main owner is cats. People, birds and all other mammals are only an intermediate in the life cycle of parasites.
In the body of cats, their sexual reproduction occurs, andin the human body - asexual. T. gondii are introduced into cells, where they form parasitic vacuoles, in which there are so-called bradizoids. They, like Xerox, multiply their own kind. When there are too many of them, the cell breaks. Vacuoles create cysts that can develop in the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, heart and skeletal muscles, and human eyes.
Since T.gondii conduct their activities inside the cell, the immune system does not "see" them. It begins to work only against those microbes that have just emerged from a ruptured cell and have not yet been introduced to a new one. Antibiotics act on them selectively.
It is for these reasons that it is difficult to completely get rid of toxoplasmosis.
In the body of cats, T. gondii cysts develop in the stomach and intestines. In the process of sexual reproduction, they form oocysts, which are excreted along with feces.
From the foregoing it is logical to assume thatcatch a toxoplasmosis during pregnancy from a cat. However, in reality, the percentage of infection in this way is negligible. Therefore, it is not necessary to drive out the cute tailed pets from the house if you find yourself in an “interesting position." In defense of these animals, it can be said that they only become infected with Toxoplasma if they ate raw infected meat or caught a sick mouse. As a last resort, even before pregnancy, you can conduct laboratory diagnostics for your cat to make sure that he is not a carrier of dangerous microbes, and if so, to treat him.
Experts believe that being in the housean infected cat before the mistress’s pregnancy is not so bad, because thanks to this, the woman produces antibodies to parasites that no longer pose a threat to the unborn child. A cat can be dangerous only if he got into the house of an already pregnant woman (for example, bought it) and infected her.
A good way not to get infected with a pet is to maintain personal hygiene, that is, always wash your hands after performing any actions with the animal.
The most likely causeToxoplasmosis during pregnancy is the consumption of thermally unprocessed contaminated meat. This may be pork, beef, lamb, venison, poultry.
Work with such meat (its cutting and other operations) is also a threat if after that the woman does not thoroughly wash her hands.
The classic way of infestation by parasites excreted in faeces is the use of unwashed vegetables and fruits, as well as field work.
It is impossible to catch T. gondii from an infected person in any household and sexual contacts. It is possible to adopt dangerous protists from it only during blood transfusion or organ transplantation.
Note that only 10% of women infected with T.gondii, feel the signs of the disease. In the remaining 90%, it flows unnoticed. Symptoms of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy are manifested in women with low immunity.
The incubation period after infection lasts fromone week to three. During this time, a woman may have already forgotten that she ate incompletely prepared meat or an unwashed vegetable. Therefore, it is often impossible to determine the source of infection.
The disease can occur in acute and chronic forms.
With acute symptoms of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy are as follows:
In many patients, signs of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can create the impression that the woman has a cold.
She appears:
It has been scientifically proven that Toxoplasma has an effect on the behavior of its victim. In pregnant women and other people, this can manifest itself in such changes in the normal state:
If a physician is suspectedFemale consultation collects the anamnesis, and also finds out, under what circumstances infection could occur. However, the most important is the serological analysis, in which blood is taken for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. This study is conducted in the first trimester for all women, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. To do this, carry out blood sampling from a vein. In its serum, the level of LgM and LgG antibodies specific to toxoplasms is determined. The results should answer whether the woman is infected, and if so, how long ago. If the infection has occurred recently, it is very important to determine whether it happened before or after conception.
In case of doubtful results, additional testing is carried out.
When performing a test for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, the indicators may be as follows:
Toxoplasmosis tests during pregnancy are alsoinclude ultrasound. It is carried out to determine the condition of the fetus. This does not mean that ultrasound will necessarily show abnormalities in the structure of the body or the like. Such a diagnosis helps to determine whether there is or not intrauterine growth retardation. If significant abnormalities are detected, abortion is recommended.
If it is confirmed that the woman is infected with T.gondii, amniocentesis is performed to find out if the fetus is infected or not. This analysis involves puncture of the amniotic fluid. Its reliability is 90-95%. For fluid taken by puncture for this test, PCR is performed. Such a study can be performed for a period of more than 18 weeks.
Also, a blood test is done to determine the overall health of the mother.
Auxiliary test is a skin test.It is carried out when 3-4 weeks have passed since the alleged infection. Signs of the presence of Toxoplasma in the body are swelling and redness of the papules, as well as inflammation of the lymph nodes.
It should be noted that dangerous for the baby will beonly primary infection with mom's toxoplasma. If she was a carrier of microbes before pregnancy, then her body has already developed immunity against these parasites. The consequences of an infection for a child are closely related to how long it happened.
If the first trimester, when the embryothere is a laying of all his organs, toxoplasmosis has been found during pregnancy, the consequences for the fetus are serious, since there is a high probability of congenital anomalies. Very often during this period miscarriages or fetal death occur.
Infection in the next 3 months may result inabnormal development in only 5% of cases. If the mother is sick in the second trimester, the baby may have vision problems, including blindness, hydrocephalus, abnormalities in the brain, kidneys, liver, heart, spleen, and gastrointestinal tract. A woman who becomes ill during this period may begin preterm labor.
If toxoplasmosis has occurred in the last three monthsduring pregnancy, the consequences for the fetus are most favorable, since by this time all the systems of the body are already formed. In this case, the baby will be born without visible anomalies, but congenital toxoplasmosis can not be avoided. He may experience a rash on the skin of the type of urticaria, diseases of internal organs, poor eyesight. All these problems can be solved with the help of the correct treatment.
If not a pregnant woman caught T.gondii, and it does not have serious symptoms, such as fever, vomiting, inflammation of internal organs, retinal lesions, the treatment is not carried out, as toxoplasmosis passes on its own, leaving behind a strong immunity.
If toxoplasmosis is found in your pregnancy, what should you do? This is the first question asked by women after a positive serological test. There are several options for the development of events:
1. No T. gondii was found in the amniotic fluid. In this case, prescribe "Spiramycin." It is able to accumulate in the placenta, thereby preventing infection of the baby.
2. T. gondii is found in the amniotic fluid.Treatment of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy in the second trimeter is made with the help of the drugs "Sulfadiazin" and "Pyrimethamine". As a prevention of problems in a child with bone marrow, folic acid is also prescribed at the same time.
First trimester treatmentIt is carried out at the discretion of the doctor and according to indications (a woman has an acute or latent form of toxoplasmosis). Most often in this period, doctors advise abortion.
It was established that the placenta misses the causative agents of the disease in the first trimester in 15% of cases, in the second - in 30% of cases, and in the third in 60%.
Famous pediatrician Komarovsky says that ifduring pregnancy, T. gondii was found in the amniotic fluid, with any treatment of the mother, the child has no chance of being born completely healthy. The difference will consist only in the degree of damage to his organs.
Toxoplasmosis, which infected morehalf of the inhabitants of the planet does not cause any problems to people with good immunity. It is dangerous only for certain categories of citizens, which include pregnant women. According to many doctors, the treatment of toxoplasmosis does not provide a 100% guarantee of the birth of a healthy baby, therefore preventive measures are extremely important for this disease.
Knowing the danger of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, it is highly desirable to plan the birth of a child, and not to let things take their course. Women intending to become mothers should be tested for toxoplasmosis.
If the result showed that LgG antibodies are present in their blood plasma, then they already have immunity against T. gondii. Therefore, their cats are not afraid of any cats.
If antibodies are found in the result of the testLgM, and the analysis showed that they appeared in plasma recently, is also a good indicator. It means that a woman needs to wait about nine months (or better a year) with pregnancy. During this time, she has developed a stable immunity that will protect her baby.
If the answer of the test is negative, it means that the woman during the entire pregnancy period will have to be alert and in every possible way protect herself from infection.
In addition to taking the test for toxoplasmosis, there are other measures that protect against T. gondii infection. They are as follows:
Some doctors believe that quite wellif a woman in childhood or adolescence got sick with acquired toxoplasmosis, since a stable immunity appeared in her body against this disease for the rest of her life. This immunity will protect her baby during pregnancy and a year after birth.
Однако у многих, кто сталкивается с токоплазмами, microorganisms do not disappear from the body, and in the form of cysts are deposited in the tissues of various organs. They do not bring anxiety, as long as their owner has strong immunity. If it decreases, they “wake up”. For this reason, exacerbation of toxoplasmosis occurs. In pregnancy, this phenomenon is not uncommon, since the very “interesting position” of a woman already affects the weakening of the protective functions of the body. In addition, the recurrence of chronic toxoplasmosis can cause:
Symptoms of exacerbation of chronic toxoplasmosis during pregnancy depend on the particular organ in which toxoplasma is activated. Possible symptoms:
The feasibility of treating pregnant women with exacerbated toxoplasmosis is decided by the attending physician on the basis of additional tests.
Now you can find a lot of information aboutT. gondii microbial hazard for fetus and newborn baby. However, reviews of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy giving birth to women are full of optimism. Cat lovers are not going to part with them for the period of their “interesting position”, but they are advised not to give pets raw meat and check them for Toxoplasma. It is also recommended to entrust the cleaning of the cat pot to one of the family members.
In the reviews there are reports of women who did not haveno contact with cats and those who did not eat raw meat, but who got sick with toxoplasmosis, having tried a salad of raw vegetables stored in a warehouse where there were mice.
Women are advised not to be afraid of infection beforeWith pregnancy it is imperative that you pass tests, and if you do not find immunity against Toxoplasma, be very careful when choosing foods and communicating closely with animals.
Если же иммунитет имеется, родившие малышей women are advised to eat well, have more rest, do not be nervous and protect themselves from any diseases that can reduce immunity or somehow affect the health of the unborn child.
