Congenital toxoplasmosis

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Congenital toxoplasmosis

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a group of symptoms and characteristics caused by infection of the fetus with the organism Toxoplasma gondii.

Fetal infection with toxoplasmosis results when a nonimmune pregnant woman is initially infected with toxoplasmosis, or if she has a history of toxoplasmosis during previous pregnancies.

For the mother the disease is generally mild and may not be evident. Infection of the fetus, however, can cause severe problems. Infection early in pregnancy results in more severe problems than later infection.

Congenital toxoplasmosis is characterized by damage to the eyes, nervous system, skin, and ears. The newborn often has a low birth weight, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, anemia, petechiae (fine red dots in the skin caused by bleeding of the capillaries), and eye damage evidenced by inflammation of the retina.

Review Date: 12/01/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.