Health

Pets and pregnancy

Do you have a cat?

If so, you should give the job of changing its kitty litter to someone else in the family.

The danger is toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection carried by cats, transmitted in cat poo, and found in gardens where cats poop. If you get toxoplasmosis for the first time when you're pregnant, the baby can get it too, in utero, and that can cause significant neurological damage.

So if you know you've never had toxoplasmosis and have cats, you shouldn't change the litter box and you'll want to be careful about gardening. (Use gloves and a mask if you have to do these things.)

If you're not sure whether you've had toxoplasmosis, you can get your blood tested to see whether you've been exposed. If you have been, you don't need to worry about it.

view all