Long-awaited pregnancy, as a rule, brings a lot of joy to any woman. But at the same time, you need to give up a lot, and on the contrary, gain something. All this often makes your head spin, and the advice is confusing. This is exactly the case with the issue of a cat being in the same house as a pregnant woman. Most likely, many people will prohibit going close to animals, frightening with the word “toxoplasmosis,” but the danger is clearly exaggerated; in the vast majority of cases, even with several cats in the house, the pregnancy was normal.

Most often affected nervous system unborn child, and that is why the baby may be born with disabilities or even die. If the infection occurred on early stages, then the pregnancy is most often terminated. That is why especially impressionable women in this situation cruelly try to find a home for their animal somewhere. But you can’t rush to conclusions!

Only primary infection of a woman during pregnancy poses a danger to the fetus. If you have already had toxoplasmosis, then there is nothing to worry about. There is a high probability that you have had this disease without suspecting anything, but to eliminate any risks, be sure to examine your pet and also get tested for TORCH infections yourself.

If your cat stays with you during pregnancy, you must follow necessary measures security:

1. Do not let your cat go outside with its fellow cats - this is a direct path to infection.

2. Don't kiss your crush. There is a high chance that the infection will pass to you through saliva.

3. Wash your hands after handling your cat.

4. Don't let her on the dinner table.

6. Entrust cleaning the cat litter to someone from your family, because this is the most the simplest way to infection. If you clean the toilet yourself, use rubber gloves.

Even if you decide to protect yourself completely, do not throw your cat out into the street, give it to reliable and kind hands, and take it back after giving birth.

Pregnant women often hear warnings addressed to them that are passed down from generation to generation. Many of them can rather be called prejudices than medical contraindications. But, nevertheless, there is no smoke without fire. So let's find out why expectant mothers are not recommended to pet cats.

Many doctors have a special opinion about the possibility of contracting this disease from cats. That's what it's based on. Toxoplasmosis is also a disease of dirty hands, in which the infectious agent is transmitted through dirty food or hands. Yes, cats are considered producers of toxoplasma cysts, but not always. After all, your four-legged friend must be infected with toxoplasmosis, and according to statistics, only 2% of cats are susceptible to this. In addition, the period of excretion of Toxoplasma in feces in infected animals occurs only once in their entire life, and then for 7-21 days. In this case, Toxoplasma cysts should enter gastrointestinal tract pregnant woman. How will they get there? Most likely if expectant mother has contact with the feces of an infected cat. What conclusion does this suggest? A pregnant woman should not care for a cat, but it would be more correct to delegate such care to her husband or other family members.

Doctors say that the frequency of transmission to the fetus depends on how early the infection occurred. If the mother is infected in the first trimester of pregnancy, this will lead to infection of the fetus in 14-17% of cases. And the earlier a woman becomes infected with toxoplasmosis, the worse the prognosis for the health of the unborn child. The frequency of transmission of this infection to the fetus increases with the duration of pregnancy. Thus, in the third trimester of pregnancy, fetal infection accounts for 60-65% of cases. But then the degree of harm to the unborn child is not very pronounced. That is, the majority of newborns whose mothers became infected with toxoplasmosis later pregnancy will not show signs of toxoplasmosis. By the way, the diagnosis of this disease in our time is carried out using a variety of modern methods.

So, a pregnant woman’s love for animals still has its risks. But she has no right to risk her health, and especially the health of her unborn child. Therefore, it is better to avoid contact with cats, and especially strangers and street ones. For your own peace of mind, it is recommended to check your pet for the presence of this infection. Take care of yourself and be careful in everything!

Especially for Elena TOLOCHIK

Is it possible to get toxoplasmosis from pets and how dangerous is this disease during pregnancy?

Is a cat a friend or a danger for a pregnant woman? © Shutterstock

Often, a doctor suggests that a pregnant woman get rid of her cat in order to prevent infection and the birth of a child with congenital pathologies. Is the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis really that great?

What is toxoplasmosis and how can you get it?

Toxoplasma is found in the feces of cats (as well as related wild animals). Through contaminated soil, toxoplasma feed enters the body of other animals, including cows, whose meat is then consumed. Mice and rats are also infected with toxoplasmosis.

A cat can become infected with toxoplasmosis in two ways - if it eats contaminated food: meat or rodent. In the city, the main source of toxoplasma is street cats. Domestic cats can also become infected with toxoplasmosis through outdoor dust and dirt.

A sick cat coughs and sneezes, breathes rapidly, her eyes are red, with purulent discharge. Possible muscle tremors, emaciation, drooling, the animal’s liver is affected - jaundice, vomiting, and severe diarrhea may develop.

They say that hidden form Toxoplasmosis in cats is dangerous for people. But this is not true; chronic cat toxoplasmosis is not contagious to its owners, since the cat does not excrete toxoplasma.

The main sources of infection for people are the same as for animals - soil contaminated with Toxoplasma, street dust, and meat. So a poorly fried kebab is more dangerous than a domestic cat.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

Toxoplasmosis at first looks like a viral infection colds. Toxoplasmosis then progresses to chronic stage. Chronic toxoplasmosis develops into acute illness in case of weakened immune system.

© Shutterstock As a result of toxoplasmosis in humans, cells are destroyed internal organs, brain damage is especially dangerous.

Unfortunately, in humans, Toxoplasma most often affects the nervous system.

Toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous during pregnancy or before conception.

Toxoplasmosis is transmitted through the placenta to the baby, which can lead to severe congenital pathologies.

10% of children develop hearing diseases and mental retardation.

Toxoplasmosis is manifested by enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, eye infections, pneumonia, etc. Some children die a few days after birth. Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth fetus

Although toxoplasmosis is not that common. According to American statistics, about 0.1% of women become infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.

How is toxoplasmosis diagnosed and treated during pregnancy?

© Shutterstock If a blood test before or during pregnancy does not show any antibodies to Toxoplasma, then the woman is susceptible to Toxoplasma infection.

If there are class G immunoglobulin antibodies in the blood, then the infection occurred in the past.

If a pregnant woman has an active toxoplasma infection, the doctor will order amniocentesis and ultrasound diagnostics to determine whether the fetus is infected.

If the fetus is infected, the pregnant woman will be prescribed treatment that will protect the baby from pathologies.

Precautions to avoid contracting toxoplasmosis

Don't clean the cat's litter box; let someone else do it.

Do not feed your cat raw or undercooked meat, as about 25% of the meat sold is contaminated with toxoplasmosis. It is better to feed frozen meat, toxoplasma die within 2-3 days at temperatures below -25 degrees.

© Shutterstock - Do not let your cat go outside so that he does not catch rodents, birds and insects.

Do not eat raw or undercooked meat, and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands.

During the period of gestation, a woman carefully monitors her health, does not allow deviations and reacts to absolutely everything. It would seem what harm it could cause furry pet in the house, because he lived here before conception. However, experts think differently and give reasonable arguments. In order not to harm the fetus in the womb, a woman must weigh absolutely everything and take appropriate measures if necessary. Let's figure it out the most important aspects in order so that you can form your own opinion.

1. Unfortunately, it is worth knowing that neither the animal nor you are immune from becoming infected with toxoplasmosis. Try not to let your pet go outside so that it interacts with its fellows.
2. Your cat can easily pick up this disease or any other infection from barn cats. Remember that while carrying a baby, do not kiss a cat under any circumstances, and wash your hands with soap every time you come into contact with an animal.
3. Make sure your pet does not climb onto the dining table. In general, pay attention to behavior and general condition animal. Toxoplasmosis manifests itself in lack of appetite, diarrhea and elevated temperature bodies.
4. If you notice that your four-legged friend is not feeling well, be sure to seek help from a veterinarian. To prevent this from happening, you can regularly visit such a doctor for preventative measures. The most important thing is to entrust cleaning the cat's litter box to another family member. Don't do these things on your own.
5. The easiest way to pick up such an infection is through feces. If you have no other choice, remember basic safety precautions. Always wear silicone gloves and clean your pet's toilet with boiling water. In this way, complete disinfection can be carried out.

Myths

In the common people, there are a sufficient number of signs that speak of pregnancy and the presence of a cat in the house. The interesting thing is that some of them are quite true and are recommended to be used as recommendations.

1. Myth 1. Some people believe that pregnant girls should not handle cats. There is some truth to this, because animals are carriers of toxoplasmosis. Therefore, during any contact with your four-legged friend, show special caution and wash your hands thoroughly with soap. If you have previously had this disease, then you are in no danger.
2. Myth 2. It is believed that if a cat sleeps in the same bed as a pregnant woman, it will lead to trouble. If you believe it, then when an animal tries to lie down next to future mother in labor, then something is wrong with the child. In reality, a four-legged friend simply becomes attached to a person and tries to be close, showing affection. Therefore, you should not worry about this, there is nothing bad about it.
3. Myth 3. Allegedly, if an animal sleeps on a woman’s chest, then after childbirth she will not have mother's milk. It is worth noting that this assumption is not supported by anything. The only reason why you should not allow your pet to sleep on your chest is because of the possibility of contracting some kind of infection. In addition, a large specimen resting on its chest can cause a lot of discomfort. It is possible that squeezing may harm the mammary glands.

Remember, in order not to encounter any diseases, both you and the animal need to be examined. Take basic safety precautions. Even if your four-legged friend is sick, if you follow simple rules you won't get infected with anything. There is no need to listen to all sorts of fables and get rid of the animal.

There is folk wisdom that says pregnant women should not pet cats. We will look into how true this statement is below, but now here are some tips. If you are expecting a baby, and your doctor is very biased towards superstitions, omens, etc. - change specialist. Believe me, if you collect all the “rules of bearing and giving birth to a child” in one Talmud, you will find out that the expectant mother is not allowed to leave the house, do anything, or even think.

As soon as a woman announces that she is expecting a child, she is bombarded with hundreds of instructions, teachings and advice. Particularly pleasing are arguments in the manner of: “my grandmother did it, my mother did it, I did it, and everything was fine.” As for pets, relatives usually categorically state that quadruped and unborn child should not live in the same house. If your family has different laws, rejoice, but do not forget about precautions.

So, drum roll, signs, superstitions and scares associated with cats:

• A pregnant woman should not pet a cat because baby will be born hairy- no comments.

• The expectant mother should not play with the cat or pick it up, otherwise will call enemies on the child...also without comment, if “great minds” did not mean street cats affected by worms.

• A woman should not trip over a cat, kick it or stroke it with her feet, otherwise There will be complications during childbirth. There is really no need to trip over your pet, as this will harm the pet. You shouldn't kick a cat either... but as for stroking it - many pregnant women praise their purrs because they lay down on their legs, which eliminates the feeling of heaviness.

• The tricolor cat protects pregnancy– if you sincerely believe in omens, protect your “turtle” with all your might. It is believed that if calico cat left home pregnant, the child will not survive. According to the same sign, the tricolor cannot be driven away if it came and asked to come into the house.

• A cat may strangle a newborn baby out of jealousy- such cases occurred, but they did not happen because of jealousy, but because the cat tried to warm the child and lay down on him. For safety reasons, The pet must be isolated from the baby during sleep until the child learns to roll over confidently.

This is interesting! According to a very ancient superstition, in order for a baby to sleep well and soundly, you need to first put a cat in his cradle.

There is also an opposite sign - A pregnant woman must shelter an abandoned kitten or cat. It is especially important that the animal is street, that is, not purchased, otherwise the superstition will not “work.” A similar sign suggests that if a family cannot have a child for a long time, they need to shelter a street kitten or puppy. The logic is very simple, the expectant mother is worried about what “is not working out” and is in a state of stress. The body, understanding the danger of stress, does not want to “accept new life"and everything starts spinning like a wheel. An obvious example, these are childless couples who took the baby from the baby's home, and through short term They found out that they themselves were expecting a child.

Read also: Why does the tip of a cat’s tongue stick out: natural and pathological reasons

Real threats

Let's move away from the far-fetched and analyze the risks that are really associated with cats. Adult, healthy person is able to carry the disease within himself for years without any manifestations or symptoms. During pregnancy, the body spends resources more actively, which increases the risk of developing an already acquired or “fresh” disease.

Similar recommendations apply fungal infections, in other words, depriving it of its varieties. Any kitten or puppy picked up on the street can be a carrier of fungi. There is nothing wrong with this if you are aware of the problem and take all necessary security measures. Modern drugs allow you to cure your cat of ringworm (or other fungal agents) with two injections. For the speedy healing of wounds, ointments and emulsions are used.

Pay attention! Treating fungal infections at random will take a long time. Contact veterinary clinic, where a skin scraping will be taken from the pet. Knowing the type of pathogen, the veterinarian will prescribe the most effective remedy for treatment.

Scary and terrible, which scares absolutely all pregnant women. In fact, this topic is not a joke; a pregnant woman affected by toxoplasma will either lose her child or give birth to an unhealthy one. The damage caused by toxoplasmosis is similar to that caused by rubella during pregnancy.

Read also: Why do they say “cats scratch your soul”?

So much attention is paid to this threat, as if every cat sneezes a pure concentrate of the virus, carries it on its fur and deliberately leaves it on all surfaces in the house. Every woman planning to have a child needs to know the following facts about toxoplasmosis:

Important! Statistically, most people become infected with toxoplasmosis not from cats, litter boxes or pet feces, but from soil and sand! For example, in the courtyards apartment buildings There are sandboxes that are natural breeding grounds for toxoplasmosis and worms.