Can toxoplasmosis harm my unborn child?

Absolutely!: Toxoplasmosis can be very dangerous to an unborn fetus. Risk of transmission is increased later during pregnancy, but if contracted earlier, the fetus' outcome is worse. Toxo can cause visuospatial, hearing, and learning problems later in life. Fortunately, patients with toxo can be treated with antibiotics while still pregnant. Babies can be tested directly too. Ask your doctor for more info!

Yes: Approximately one-half of women infected with toxoplasmosis can transmit the infection across the placenta to their unborn baby. Infection early in the pregnancy is less likely to be transmitted to the baby than infection later in the pregnancy. Early infection results in more severe symptoms in the baby than a later one. Most babies infected during pregnancy show no sign of toxoplasmosis when the.