Routine antenatal toxoplasmosis screening, is it necessary?

Area of Science:

• Medical Parasitology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Toxoplasmosis is a common congenital infection with no universal screening guidelines.
• Congenital toxoplasmosis poses risks to fetal development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of antenatal toxoplasmosis screening in a tertiary care setting.
• To analyze screening test results and their correlation with fetal outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of antenatal toxoplasmosis screening tests (IgM, IgG, avidity) over four years.
• Inclusion of data on amniocentesis, toxoplasma PCR, fetal outcomes, and neonatal follow-up.

Main Results:

• 49,292 toxoplasma IgM tests were analyzed.
• 50 pregnant women with positive IgM and low IgG avidity were identified.
• One termination due to ultrasonographic findings; toxoplasma PCR was negative in others.
• 65.2% of newborns from the followed-up group tested positive for toxoplasmosis.

Conclusions:

• Antenatal toxoplasmosis screening may be most beneficial for pregnant women with specific ultrasonographic abnormalities.
• Further research is recommended to refine screening protocols.