Cats and pregnant women
LIKE handbags and shoes, some women simply cannot resist the companionship of their fluffy four-legged friends. And while it’s fine for most people, obstetrician-gynaecologist at ICON Medical Centre Dr Keisha Buchanan says there are some risks associated with pregnant women caring for felines.
“It is generally safe to have cats around, but during pregnancy there is a small risk of contracting Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii that lives in the stomach of the cat and is generally found in the litter box or wherever the cats pass their faeces, such as contaminated soil,” Dr Buchanan said.
She explained that the infection is transmitted orally by way of contaminated soil or faeces getting into the woman’s mouth, and is relatively low, accounting for one in every 200 women. But for those affected and their growing babies, the effects can be severe.
“Most women who have toxoplasmosis in pregnancy for the first time will have healthy babies, as the risk of it affecting the baby is low. However, the earlier the exposure to the Toxoplasmosis parasite, the higher the risk of birth defects such as Congenital Toxoplasmosis — a rare condition marked by a higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, hydrocephalus (fluid on baby’s brain), brain damage, seizures, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities, jaundice and enlarged spleen,” Dr Buchanan cautioned.
She noted that infections later in pregnancy are more likely to affect the foetus, but the risk of defects or serious harm to the baby is low. Learning disabilities, she said, are the most common related complications.
Toxoplasmosis, Dr Buchanan explained, is quite difficult to identify in pregnant women because the symptoms are often subtle, and most expectant mothers will have no symptoms.
“When they do, they may experience mild flu-like symptoms such as lethargy, fever, headache, general aches, and enlarged lymph nodes. If a blood test is not done for toxoplasmosis, most women with these symptoms may think they have the flu. A blood test will help in providing diagnosis so that treatment may be administered,” Dr Buchanan advised.
She said that women who have cats would have probably been exposed to toxoplasmosis prior to their pregnancies and might therefore be immune to the parasite, making it less likely to spread to the unborn child. A test, however, should be done to confirm this.
To avoid any possibility of exposure to or causing any harm to your unborn child, Dr Buchanan has recommended that you take note of the following precautionary measures:
• Do not clean the litter box or do gardening in soil where cats pass or may have passed their faeces.
• Make sure that whatever meat you are consuming is adequately cooked, since you may also be exposed to Toxoplasma Gondii by way of this medium.
• Avoid eating raw vegetables; it’s better to cook the vegetables since they can also have traces of Toxoplasma Gondii.
• If you must eat raw vegetables or fruits, wash them carefully in a diluted bleach solution, then rinse them well before consuming.
