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[Congenital toxoplasmosis, evaluation of the prevention policy]
M Wallon1, M R Mallaret, M Mojon
1Service de Parasitologie et de Pathologie exotique, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon.
Objectives:
This study was performed to assess the effect of a prevention programme against congenital toxoplasmosis conducted as part of the French health policy developed in the Rhône department.
Methods:
A descriptive epidemiological survey was conducted in 1991 including 806 post-partum women who were hospitalized in 22 maternities in the Rhône department.
Results:
Forty-nine percent of the women had negative serology tests. French legislation requiring detecting non-immunized women at diagnosis of pregnancy was applied satisfactorily by the attending physicians. Inversely, women at risk were insufficiently informed: only 17% of the women at risk were aware of the three main routes of contamination; 63% believed vaccination is possible and 11% though they had been vaccinated. Deficient information was probably the cause of poor compliance to preventive measures as observed in this sample: only 17% of the serologically negative women stated they had applied anti-toxoplasmosis prophylaxy measures.
Conclusion:
Women at risk must be informed to convince them to modify their behaviour during pregnancy. The role of the attending physician and biologist is of major importance.