Toxoplasmosis is a common infection. When a pregnant woman gets the infection, it can pose serious risks to her baby. Between 400 and 4,000 babies in the United States are born with toxoplasmosis each year.
A baby born with toxoplasmosis may develop eye infections, an enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and pneumonia. Sadly, some babies die within a few days of birth. Some are severely mentally retarded, have vision loss, cerebral palsy, seizures and other problems.
What you can do:
There are simple steps you can take to avoid toxoplasmosis infection:
- Don’t eat raw or undercooked meat, especially lamb or pork.
- Wash your hands immediately with soap and water after handling raw meat.
- Clean cutting boards, work surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after contact with raw meat or unwashed fruit or vegetables.
- Peel or thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables before eating.
- Don't empty or clean the cat's litter box. Let someone else do this.
- Don't feed the cat raw or undercooked meat.
- Keep the cat indoors.
- Don't get a new cat while you're pregnant.
- Wear gloves while gardening.
- Avoid children’s sandboxes. Cats may use them as litter boxes.
For more information, read the March of Dimes fact sheet Toxoplasmosis.
October 2008