Pregnancy and Toxoplasmosis: should screening be a routine practice?

Abstract

Because infectious agents can reach the fetus through the placenta, pregnancy is regarded as a particular period for contagious diseases. Identification of infections during pregnancy and appropriate treatment can prevent fetal disorders. For this purpose, to avoid their harmful effects on fetus and newborn, various infectious diseases are screened during pregnancy. Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnancy is transmitted through the transplacental pathway leading to severe neurological sequelae such as fetal abortion, stillbirth, intrauterine growth retardation, cranial calcifications, blindness, deafness, and mental retardation. This can lead to serious social and economic problems for the family and the infant, as well as society. To prevent these sequelae, infections during pregnancy need to be identified and appropriately treated. There are different opinions and practices in the world regarding the screening of T. gondii during pregnancy follow-up. This review aimed to assess the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection during gestation in Turkey and the world, its effects on the fetus, ways of protection, and suggestions about screening in the world and in Turkey in light of the literature, so that this becomes a guide for clinical practice for physicians.