Toxoplasmosis during Pregnancy
A pregnant woman always wants to stay healthy to keep her unborn baby in good health as well. However, some things are out of our control, such as contaminated food that can lead to food poisoning. Food poisoning can be viral, bacterial, or parasitic, and some only affect the mother without harming her child. However, one parasite, called toxoplasmosis, can hurt both the soon-to-be-mother and her child.
Catching Toxoplasmosis
Raw meat can be a carrier for the toxoplasmosis parasite. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid eating undercooked meats, such as too-rare beef. Additionally, the organism resides in the intestines of some cats, so handling soil with cat poop or cat feces itself can lead to a toxoplasmosis infection. Usually, getting someone else to change the cat litter and pull the weeds in an area where cat feces might be located will protect a woman from this infection, but not always.
Effects of the Parasite
Toxoplasmosis infections rarely result in ill effects. However, in some healthy adults, it might seem like the flu if it shows itself at all. The same goes for pregnant women. They hardly ever exhibit symptoms, but if they do have the infection, it can be passed along to the fetus. This can happen if the woman contracts toxoplasmosis either during or right before her pregnancy.
The toxoplasmosis parasite can cause some major birth defects in babies, including:
- Seizures
- Jaundice
- Enlarged liver or spleen
- Eye infections
- Hearing impairment or deafness
- Mental retardation
Contact Us
Toxoplasmosis can be scary because a pregnant woman may not know that she has the parasite until her child comes out with severe birth defects. If you feel that your doctor did not warn you about toxoplasmosis and inform you how to avoid it, leading to an infection in your baby, this may count as medical malpractice.
For more information on birth injuries and other forms of medical malpractice to mothers and infants, contact the experienced Philadelphia birth injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-238-1130.