How common is toxoplasmosis in pregnancy?
We don't know exactly how many pregnant women get toxoplasmosis. Rates of infection vary from country to country and from
time to time.
What we do know that toxoplasmosis in pregnancy isn't common.
In the United States, about 2 in 1,000 to 6 in 1,000 pregnant women get toxoplasmosis.1
Researchers think that about 85 in 100 of women of childbearing age are at risk of getting toxoplasmosis because they haven't had it before.2 But once you've had the infection you are immune for life.
Nobody knows exactly how many babies are born with congenital toxoplasmosis (babies who became infected in the womb). But in the United States, researchers think it's about 400 to 4,000 babies each year.3
Sources for the information on this page:
- Eskild A, Oxman A, Magnus P, et al. Screening for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: what is the evidence of reducing a health problem? Journal of Medical Screening. 1996; 3: 188-194. 9041483
- Jones J, Lopez A, Wilson M. Congenital toxoplasmosis. American Family Physician. 2003; 67: 2131-2138. 12776962
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing congenital toxoplasmosis. March 2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov (accessed on 3 April 2008).
This information was last updated in Apr 21, 2008
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This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved. |











