An infection caused by a parasite that can be found in soil or unwashed fruit and veg contaminated with cat faeces, as well as raw meat and unpasteurised goats’ milk. Risks to your unborn baby include eye and, very rarely, brain damage.
This is very rare, affecting just 800 of the 1m babies born in the UK every year.
Use gloves for gardening and wash your hands afterwards. Ask someone else to change the cat’s litter tray. Wash fruit and veg, and wash your hands after handling raw meat. Make sure meat is well cooked and avoid cured meats such as salami and Parma ham.
Most women are immune and few cats are actually infected with toxoplasmosis. You have to ingest it to get infected so touching cat poo is not as risky as you might think. Request a blood test if you are worried. Treatment includes antibiotics.
