Prevalence and Outcomes of Maternal Toxoplasmosis on Pregnancy
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Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Toxoplasma gondii, affects more than one third of the world's population. In developing countries, it is associated with increased complications and peri-natal morbidity and mortality. The screening of pregnant women for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii is an essential part of prenatal care. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify the prevalence and outcomes of Toxoplasmosis on pregnancy among women attending Nangarhar University Teaching Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 348 women who were screened for IgG and IgM antibodies from April to November, 2024. A non-probability convenience sampling was used. Data were collected through questionnaires from hospital-based medical records of all participants. Those women visiting the obstetrics and gynecology department with clinically or laboratory-confirmed Toxoplasma gondii infection. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. A total of 2,972 pregnant women attending antenatal care at Nangarhar University Teaching Hospital were screened for Toxoplasma gondii. Among them, 348 (11.7%) tested seropositive, while 2,624 (88.3%) tested negative. The participants’ age ranged between 25 to 35 years, and most presented during the second trimester. Among the seropositive women, reported fetal complications included abnormal development (24.7%), abortion (5.7%), intrauterine fetal death (2.9%), low birth weight (4.0%), stillbirth (2.6%), and central nervous system (CNS) disorders (1.4%). Animal contact was reported in 121 (34.8%) of cases, whereas 226 (64.9%) reported no such history. The study concluded that 11.7% of pregnant women were seropositive for Toxoplasmosis, which is associated with a high risk of fetal complications such as abortion, intrauterine fetal death, low birth weight, stillbirth, hydrocephaly, microcephaly, chorioretinitis, and fetal CNS disorders, thereby highlighting the need for routine screening and continuous monitoring during antenatal care.
Keywords
Maternal, Outcomes, Prevalence, Pregnancy, Toxoplasmosis, Toxoplasma, gondii##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##
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