Toxoplasmosis can be transmitted to the baby during pregnancy even if you don’t feel ill. The risks to your baby if she contracts it include:  Miscarriage and stillbirth Seizures Swollen liver and spleen Jaundice Eye infections and blindness Hearing loss which appears later in life Mental disabilities which appear later in life There are two ways that the doctor might suggest examining your baby.  An ultrasound. This procedure uses sound waves to produce an image of the baby in the uterus. It is not dangerous for the mother or the baby. It can show whether the child has signs of an infection such as excess fluid around the brain. However, it does not rule out the possibility that there could be an infection which didn’t exhibit symptoms at that time. Amniocentesis. This procedure involves inserting a needle through the wall of the mother’s abdomen and into the sac of fluid that surrounds the baby and extracting some of the fluid. The amniotic fluid can then be tested for toxoplasmosis. It has a 1% risk of causing a miscarriage. This test can confirm or exclude a toxoplasmosis infection, but if the child is infected, it won’t be able to say whether the child shows signs of having been harmed. What the doctor recommends may vary on whether the infection has spread to your baby or not.  If the infection has not spread to your baby, the doctor may recommend the antibiotic spiramycin. This medication may sometimes prevent the infection from being transmitted to your baby. If your baby is infected, the doctor will probably recommend that you alternate spiramycin with treatments of pyrimethamine (Daraprim) and sulfadiazine. These medications would likely only be prescribed after the 16th week. Pyrimethamine may prevent you from absorbing folic acid which is important for the baby’s development and cause bone marrow suppression and liver problems. Ask your doctor about side effects for you and your baby before you take them. If you were infected with toxoplasmosis during the pregnancy, your doctor will check the infant at birth to determine whether there are signs of eye problems or brain damage. However, many children do not develop symptoms until later, so your doctor may recommend a blood test.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends sending all blood tests of newborns to a specialized Toxoplasma Serology Laboratory in California for testing. Your baby may need to be regularly retested during the first year of life to confirm that he or she remains negative. If your baby is born with toxoplasmosis, the doctor may suggest regular monitoring, combined with medications. Unfortunately, if your baby has already been harmed by the infection, this damage cannot be undone. However, medications may help prevent further damage.  Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) Sulfadiazine Folic acid supplements. This will be given because pyrimethamine may prevent your baby from absorbing folic acid.
ناقش المخاطر على رضيعك مع طبيبك. تحدّث مع طبيبك عن فحص جنينك في الرحم. اسأل طبيبك عن دواء لنفسك. افحصي طفلك بعد الولادة. اتبع نصائح الطبيب لعلاج رضيعك.