Housework during pregnancy: do's and don'ts. Why pregnant women shouldn't clean up cat litter

During pregnancy, you need to watch not only what she eats or drinks, but also what she does. Pregnant women who have a cat at home have probably heard that cat feces are dangerous for them. Indeed, cat litter with animal excrement poses a risk of infection with the prostitis Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the disease toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which reproduces only in cats. A woman who has recently become infected with Toxoplasma during or just before pregnancy can pass the infection to her unborn baby (congenital infection). The expectant mother may have no symptoms, but the consequences for the unborn baby, such as nervous system and eye diseases, can be serious.

Do's and don'ts during pregnancy

Expectant mothers are strictly forbidden to move furniture, knock out carpets, wash windows, glue wallpaper or engage in any other interior decoration. During pregnancy, hormones affect the condition of cartilage and connective tissue, making them more fragile. Improper actions can cause microcracks in the intervertebral discs and joints, which means back pain. If they occur or worsen during household chores, be sure to wear a bandage. Better yet, give up such activities.

A pregnant woman should not pet cats to avoid becoming infected with worms and other parasites.

Animals, especially street animals, are carriers of many diseases. Almost every yard cat has worms, but pets are not immune from parasite infection. A cat can pick up worms if it goes outside or comes into contact with other animals; parasite eggs can get into an apartment on a person’s clothes and shoes.

Petting, hugging a pet, or playing with it can be dangerous - this increases the risk of infection with toxocara, roundworms, nematodes, tapeworms, and echinococcus. During pregnancy, you should not take antihelminthic drugs, they harm the fetus. Treatment must be postponed until delivery, or even until the end of breastfeeding, and all this time the mother’s body will be exposed to the toxic effects of worm waste.

Housework during pregnancy

There is no need to give up household chores or leisure time. Although, if you really want to (more precisely, you don’t want to), you can refer to poor health and shift everyday worries onto the shoulders of your husband or relatives.

Pick up things from the floor.
A pregnant woman is very absent-minded, sometimes clumsy: she always drops something. In order not to lose what has fallen, you need to pick it up. And raise it correctly. To do this, bend not at the waist, but at the knees. Don't slouch and get down on one knee as close to the object as possible. Don't squat for long periods of time. As you rise, lean on your thigh muscles.
If you are sweeping the floor with a broom or mopping,
do not bend over with straight legs. Pour water into a bucket and pour it out using a ladle. Or a husband. Kneel or sit on a low stool. Although this is not very convenient, it is quite tedious and will take much longer. If so, give preference to a vacuum cleaner.
Vacuuming should be done without bending forward, so as not to cause tension and pain in the lower back. Stand straight, do not extend the vacuum cleaner pipe all the way, and hold it by the upper part of the rigid handle. The same position must be observed when you have a mop in your hands.
Hanging laundry during pregnancy is not recommended.
It is better for an assistant to do this, especially if the ropes are high above your head, and also if you need to move a basin with heavy wet clothes to the balcony. The situation will be saved by a special dryer, which is usually no higher than chest level. And you can put it in any convenient place in the apartment.
It's the same story with removing dust from cabinets or arranging books on high shelves. You can only place objects at the level of your hands.
to iron clothes
while standing for the reasons described above. It is best to set the ironing board to the lowest height and iron while sitting. The only negative is that the sheets and duvet covers can “sweep” the floor. But you already washed it.
contact with harmful substances
altogether, especially if the label states their toxicity. Or at least replace them with safer ones. So, use liquids instead of aerosols. And wash dishes, stoves, bathtubs and other surfaces with rubber gloves, even if you use the most gentle product. And do not remember that ammonia and chloride products emit toxic fumes when mixed.

Ultimately, treat yourself (and let those around you get used to it) as a precious box with unusually fragile contents. And allow yourself to do blissful idleness more often. After all, with the birth of your baby, troubles will find you. In the meantime, gain strength.

Our expert, Irina
Shlyapnikova
, gynecologist at the international clinic
Medem, member of the European Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Russian Association of Reproductologists:
It is intuitively clear that pregnant women should not smoke, drink alcohol, or work with sources of radioactive radiation. In general, if the pregnancy is going smoothly and your health is not bothering you, it is not at all necessary to radically change your usual - be it relatively calm or quite active - lifestyle. And so that an interesting situation does not turn into monotonous and boring, you can continue to work, visit entertainment venues and cultural events, cinema, theaters, communicate with friends, even travel.

The main thing I can recommend is not to overwork and watch your posture. The fact is that the tummy increases the arch of the back and shifts the center of gravity to the solar plexus area. To avoid unnecessary stress on the lower back, pelvic area, stomach and legs, you need to monitor your posture, no matter what you do. Square your shoulders and stand up straight. Moreover, this way the baby will take the correct position for childbirth and will thank you.

As for the duration of work, a pregnant woman, if she is in good health, can work until the birth.

Pregnancy makes adjustments to a woman's life. From now on, she must be attentive not only to her health, but also to think about her future child.

A modern woman often needs to work, besides, household chores do not give her the opportunity to rest and can cause some harm to her health. A pregnant woman's family and husband should share the household concerns.

There are also household chores that can have an extremely negative impact on the development of the child and the course of pregnancy, so every pregnant woman should be aware of these dangers and avoid doing harmful work. In addition, the routine for doing housework is important: feasible chores must be performed commensurate with your strength, constantly alternating them with rest.

Myths and reality about cats and pregnancy

What do expectant mothers fear most? And are their fears justified?

Toxoplasmosis

A sick animal, being in the same room with a pregnant woman, can easily infect her.

The manifestations of toxoplasmosis are so similar to a minor cold that a woman would rather decide that she has a cold than that she got the infection from a sick animal.

But for an unborn baby, the disease can be not only dangerous, but deadly. Even if the fetus does not die, serious damage to the nervous system is guaranteed. Doctors say that if the infection occurs before 24 weeks, termination of pregnancy cannot be avoided.

But the good news is that the disease is dangerous only in the initial stages. If the disease is suffered by a woman before pregnancy, it will not affect the fetus in any way. In addition, the expectant mother will not get sick again.

More often it turns out that a woman has already been ill much earlier and the cat is now not at all dangerous for her, because she has developed immunity against toxoplasma. But it won’t hurt to get examined, and for both the owner and her pet to be tested for TORCH infections. And you should not pet or kiss your pet.

Allergy

It is believed that pets actively contribute to the manifestation of allergic reactions in the expectant mother and her baby.

But in reality, everything depends on the individual sensitivity of the expectant mother. For some, it’s true that the first manifestations of allergies occur during pregnancy:

dry cough or sneezing;
lacrimation;
rash or itchy skin.

If such symptoms appear, the animal will have to be isolated for a while. If after a few days the symptoms disappear, then the cause of the allergy is in the animal, and you will have to place it with relatives or friends during pregnancy. It happens that with the birth of the baby everything returns to normal, but sometimes it doesn’t, and the allergy remains for life. Then you will have to forget about the animal in the house.

If the mother has an allergy, then there is a fairly high probability that the child will have the same reaction. But it is impossible to accurately predict this.

Try to reduce risks. To do this, the rooms are ventilated, daily wet cleaning is carried out, the cat is not allowed in the bed or in the kitchen, and all “dust containers” (carpets, soft toys, etc.) are removed to the far corner.

Aggression from a cat

Often, expectant mothers express concerns about whether the pet will harm the baby, because their behavior often changes radically. It should be understood what was the reason for the transformation of a sweet, affectionate cat into an evil beast with the appearance of a new little person in the house:

jealousy of the baby;
fear that a restless screaming creature has appeared in the house;
curiosity when she tries to crawl into a crib or stroller, and is being chased from everywhere.

So what should I do? Don't forget that your pet wants attention no less than before. Create a soft, cozy shelter for him. Don't scold, and especially don't yell at the furry one. Give the opportunity to meet the new family member and sniff him. And then the animal will accept the baby as its own.

What will be the consequences of washing floors by a woman in the third trimester?

In the last months of pregnancy, it is especially difficult for a woman to cope with household chores. An enlarged belly, swelling and associated fatigue make it impossible to fully engage in cleaning.

In recent weeks, pregnant women have experienced a “nesting instinct” - women try to make their corner clean and cozy. Bouts of manic cleanliness among some expectant mothers prompt them to spring cleaning. This condition is aggravated by the availability of free time after going on maternity leave.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s joints are especially vulnerable, and overloading the spine is quite dangerous, as the cartilage of the intervertebral discs becomes more vulnerable and soft. Women are not recommended to lift heavy objects, such as buckets of water, bend over, or perform sudden turns and tilts of the body. These actions can provoke the appearance of microtraumas of the vertebral discs and joints, and microcracks can cause not only back pain, but also become a site for the formation of intervertebral hernias. If, while performing work, pain occurs in the thoracic or lumbar region, then it is necessary to use special bandages to relieve the load on the spine.

Women in the position of cleaning and washing floors are advised to use special aids, such as mops with extendable handles and buckets equipped with a hands-free spin. It is better to pour water from the bucket gradually using a ladle. In addition, a pregnant woman needs to learn how to bend over correctly. In order to redistribute body weight, a woman should bend her legs slightly at the knee joints and only then lean forward slightly.

During pregnancy, it is not prohibited to wash the floor by hand while kneeling; this activity can even be beneficial as physical exercise; in this position, the load on the spine is removed. If you want to save energy and time, then it is better to abandon washing the floor by hand in favor of a mop.

Folk wisdom related to pregnant women and cats

There are many other signs associated with contact between pregnant women and felines:

Do not touch the animal with your feet, otherwise the baby will have problems with the nervous system;
It is also prohibited to harm animals, such an act will harm the health of the mother and baby;
a tricolor cat serves as a talisman for your pregnancy, so it should not be kicked out of the house;
if a calico cat leaves a pregnant woman’s house, it means the baby will not survive;
when a calico cat asks to come into the house, and a woman in this position cannot be turned away;
a cat can strangle a child out of jealousy.

These signs can also be easily substantiated or refuted from a scientific point of view. During pregnancy, it is not recommended to make too sudden movements. This has a bad effect on both the woman herself and the fetus. The emotional state of a woman is transmitted to the fetus and threatens nervous diseases. As for domestic cats, scientists have proven that while living in a house, people develop a strong immunity to toxoplasmosis. If a cat has lived in your house for many years, then the future baby is in no danger at all.

If we consider the belief that says that you cannot drive away animals that have strayed, there are also many nuances. Today, most people suffer from allergies, and their manifestations can be very different. Pregnant women especially often experience such problems, even if this has not been observed before, therefore, no matter what color the animal passes the threshold, a person simply will not be able to take it home and nothing will happen.

Cases of infants being strangled by cats happen quite often. However, this is most likely not out of jealousy, but because the animal is trying to warm the baby and lies on top of him. It is advisable to isolate your pet for the first time and not allow it into a crib. There is another sign that says that if a cat begins to climb into a pre-prepared crib at the end of pregnancy, it means that in a couple of days the baby will be born. It is believed that the animal subconsciously feels its owner and her condition.

How to properly clean the house during pregnancy?

House cleaning activities for a pregnant woman should be limited. The expectant mother should not lift heavy objects, knock out carpets, or make sudden bends or turns. The use of any aggressive substances for cleaning is also extremely undesirable; it is better to entrust this work to someone else or replace household chemicals with soda ash and safe organic detergents.

When lifting things from the floor, you need to bend over correctly: you need to bend not at the waist, but at the knees, and stand on one knee when bending over. Also rise carefully and at the same time it is better to rely on the muscles of the thighs.

You should not sweep the floor with a broom; it is better to use household appliances. In order to avoid lower back pain when working with a vacuum cleaner, you need to do this without bending over, extend the tube to the maximum possible length, or hold on to the top of the handle.

Pregnant women should not reach up to place objects on shelves located above the level of their hands. It is extremely undesirable for women to climb high-standing objects, such as a stepladder or stool, to clean hard-to-reach places.

Household chemicals are especially dangerous. Detergents reach the surface of the skin, are absorbed and enter the bloodstream. If you can protect your skin from this with rubber gloves, then the volatile components of ammonia and chloride products easily penetrate the air through a woman’s respiratory tract and can adversely affect the development of the fetus. Aerosols are especially dangerous in this sense, so it is better to replace them with liquid agents. Even the most gentle cleaning and dishwashing products should be used with gloves on your hands first.

Prevention

Infection with toxoplasmosis can be prevented by following certain rules:

You should thoroughly boil and fry the meat, do not try raw minced meat, remember that traces of meat may remain on the knife, cutting board and kitchen rag. After preparing meat, wash your hands thoroughly. You should also avoid eating fresh milk and raw eggs.

Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly

During this period, you should not feed your cat or dog raw meat. A pregnant woman should not kiss pets or allow herself to be licked. If any unusual symptoms appear in a pet, it is better to entrust its care to other family members. And, of course, there is no need to get a kitten at this time, especially if you pick it up from your hands or at the Poultry Market, since a young animal has a weaker immune system, and the baby could have acquired toxoplasmosis in utero

When working with soil in the garden or vegetable garden, be sure to use rubber gloves, and wash your hands thoroughly after work.

Always wash your shoes and hands after going outside and after petting animals.

Oxoplasmosis is insidious, but predictable. And a beloved cat can continue to serve as a source of joy for its owner during pregnancy and after the baby is born.

When writing this article, materials from www.zoovet.ru were used.

Pregnancy makes adjustments to a woman's life. From now on, she must be attentive not only to her health, but also to think about her future child.

How should you wash so as not to harm yourself and your baby?

Modern household appliances can make a woman’s life much easier. An automatic washing machine can do all the hard work for a woman. If hand washing cannot be avoided, it should be done in a comfortable standing or sitting position and use safe organic laundry detergents. The basin with water should be positioned so that you do not need to bend over to it.

It is better to iron clothes in a sitting position to prevent varicose veins. To do this, set the ironing board to its minimum height, your back should be straight, and your knees should be spread apart and bent at a right angle. Often, the amount of laundry that requires ironing (especially bed linen) can be significantly reduced if you hang it properly after washing. It is better to entrust this work to someone else, because pregnant women should not come into contact with washing powders and hang laundry on high ropes.

Sedentary work during pregnancy

Many pregnant women get inspired to do handicrafts. Of course, they have a positive effect on the psychological state of the expectant mother, but you also need to be able to sit correctly.

When sitting, a woman should lean on the back of a chair or armchair; for her comfort, you can place a small pillow in the lumbar area, and place your feet on a small pillow. If a woman has a tendency to edema, then it is better to take a semi-recumbent position, in which the legs are at hip level and extended.

Prolonged stay in a sitting position leads to impaired blood circulation and the appearance of congestion in the veins of the lower extremities, which provokes pain in the back and swelling.

During sedentary work, you need to periodically change your body position and take breaks every hour for 5-10 minutes to walk. Computer-related or note-taking jobs also require such breaks. You should not sit with one leg thrown over the other; this position contributes to poor circulation, increased stress on the spine and the appearance of pain.

It is better not to get carried away with sedentary housework, and in the last months of pregnancy it should be replaced with moderate walking in clean air.

Interpretation of superstitions

Almost any sign that concerns pregnancy and childbirth is based on two main facts: fear and curiosity. As for signs with cats, most of them can be substantiated from a scientific point of view. There are four signs associated with cats and pregnant women:

during pregnancy, it is necessary to reduce close contact with animals to a minimum;
You can’t pet cats;
you can’t go near the cat’s litter box;
when you feel the urge to play with a cat during pregnancy, it means that the future baby will have a difficult life ahead of him and will be surrounded by many enemies.

As you can see, these signs can be substantiated scientifically. However, if a woman had a cat at home for many years before pregnancy, this does not mean that she should be thrown away immediately. It is better to consult a doctor and undergo all relevant laboratory tests.

Cooking and washing dishes during pregnancy

All ingredients for cooking should be prepared while sitting at the table in the same way as when ironing clothes. But proper nutrition for the family requires a long stay at the stove. To make the task easier, you can place a stool nearby and alternately place your leg bent at the knee on it, and in this way you can reduce the load on the hip joints and lumbar spine. If you feel tired, you need to take a short break and lie down. At these moments, it is better to slightly raise your legs, placing them on a pillow.

A pregnant woman needs to handle electrical kitchen appliances with special care, constantly ventilate the kitchen or turn on the hood when using a gas stove or oven. The use of the microwave should be limited or abandoned altogether if the door does not close tightly. Electromagnetic radiation in this case can negatively affect not only the woman, but also the unborn child.

Pregnancy and a cat in the house

The cat has been living in your house for a long time. For all household members, she has long become a favorite. What to do? Give it to friends during pregnancy? Radical measures are not needed. If your pet has been living in the family for a long time, then you have long ago developed immunity to pathogens of this type. It is enough to clean the toilet after her on time, and it is better for someone close to her to do this, and not a pregnant woman. And after petting the cat, wash your hands.

2. Worms that occur in animals are also dangerous. If you feed your pet raw meat, river fish, insects. A pregnant woman can become infected with worms at any time: by kissing her nose, stroking her fur. It is not easy for a pregnant woman to cure worms; not all medications are harmless.

To prevent the animal from developing worms, you need to stop feeding it raw. Anthelmintic drugs can be given periodically.

3. Some animals sometimes get ringworm. It can also be transmitted to humans through close contact. Signs of lichen in cats are quite noticeable: bleeding bald spots form on the ears, paws, and tail. And then you should contact a dermatologist. Antifungal drugs are used for treatment.

4. There is another problem: allergies. But allergies usually do not develop during pregnancy. It happens even before pregnancy. This means you are already ready for it.

5. Gatophobia. Fear of domestic cats and cats. The pregnant woman prepares herself psychologically that if she pets her pet, something terrible will happen. This fear has a bad effect on the unborn baby.

This is why pregnant women shouldn't pet cats

, both indoor and outdoor.

For any woman, pregnancy is happiness, the joy of expecting a baby. And how often this joy is overshadowed by various signs, superstitions, and advice from “experienced people.” Should you always believe in these signs? Of course, a woman in this position is the most vulnerable. She is ready to believe any nonsense, as long as everything is fine with the child. But are these signs always nonsense? Let's try to find out together.

How should a pregnant woman properly care for animals?

Pets can be not only a source of joy and worries, but also a variety of infections. A woman should follow the rules for caring for them and regularly wash her hands with soap. If signs of any disease appear, the animal should be shown to a veterinarian.

There is no need to feed animals raw meat, but someone else should clean up the pet’s feeding and sleeping areas. Cleaning the cat litter box deserves special attention. during pregnancy has serious consequences for the fetus, especially in the first stages of its development. If the tests show that the woman was not infected before pregnancy, then she is strictly forbidden to clean the cat litter, since its contents may contain pathogens. For the same reason, it is better for a pregnant woman not to work in the garden.

Everyday housework during pregnancy is commonplace, but when doing it you need to listen to yourself and follow simple precautions.

- My wife is pregnant. Can a cat be tested for toxoplasmosis? – one of the frequently asked questions in veterinary clinics

Let's figure out what toxoplasmosis is and what the danger of contracting it can come from a cat.

Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasmosis in cats

Why shouldn't pregnant women change cat litter?

Quite often pregnant women hear from various sources that pregnant women should not change cat litter, although they do not understand why. Let's try to figure out how contact with a pet such as a cat can be dangerous for pregnant women.

What are the dangers of contact with a cat while carrying a baby?

In this case, it is not the contact with the pet itself that is dangerous for pregnant women, but what is parasitic in its body. In particular, doctors' concerns are related to the possibility of infection with toxoplasmosis, the causative agent of which is Toxoplasma gondii.

This single-celled microorganism parasitizes the intestines of cats. That is why a large number of toxoplasmosis pathogens are found in their feces. These animals are the main hosts. The intermediate host in the development cycle of this pathogen is the organism of a dog, human, cow, or horse. In them, Toxoplasma “pupates” in muscle tissue, in the hope that it will be eaten. Therefore, infection can also occur when eating low-quality beef, for example.

What is the likelihood of contracting toxoplasmosis from pets?

According to statistics provided by leading veterinarians, infection with toxoplasma as a result of contact with one's own pets is 1 case out of 100. It is this fact that explains why pregnant women should not clean the cat litter.

Moreover, in some Western countries, doctors recommend completely eliminating contact with any pets during pregnancy. After all, for example, infection with the same toxoplasmosis can lead to miscarriage or various (brain) abnormalities in a child during intrauterine development.

Can pregnant women clean up cat litter?

Quite often, expectant mothers ask this question to their doctors because there is practically no one else to care for their pet except them. The answer to no one is quite categorical and negative. However, let's try to figure out if this is actually true.

The thing is that a cat excretes toxoplasma only once in its life, and usually this happens at a young age. Then he develops immunity and no longer produces toxoplasma testicles.

But most owners have no idea whether their pet has had this disease or not. This is why doctors say that pregnant women should not clean cat litter in order to protect themselves from possible consequences.

A pregnant woman, of course, tries to protect herself and her unborn child as much as possible from any possible dangers and risks. This is inherent in nature itself - to protect and protect our own, unborn child. But what if our closest, beloved little brothers fall under the category of threats? And why shouldn't pregnant women clean up cat litter?

Many different sources loudly declare that almost any interaction with a cat is already quite risky for the expectant mother. In a number of Western countries, doctors even recommend that their patients completely exclude pets from their lives. At least during pregnancy. But what to do if there is no one to give your pets to, there are no special shelters in your city, or you simply don’t want to part with your furry friends? Can such a clean and domestic creature as a cat really pose a danger to mother and baby? Is that possible? Let's try to clarify this burning issue.

In fact, the threat is, of course, not the pet itself, but the parasites that may exist in it. Basically, doctors are afraid of the possibility of infecting the expectant mother with so-called toxoplasmosis. This is the answer to the question why pregnant women should not clean the cat litter box.

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gandii. In an ordinary person, it can be practically asymptomatic, and it is most dangerous for pregnant women. However, there is also one important feature here: if a woman had toxoplasmosis before pregnancy, then she cannot infect the child. It is much more dangerous if she becomes infected with the disease during pregnancy, since in this case there is no chance of giving birth to a healthy baby.

You can catch the infection in different ways:

by eating contaminated meat, unwashed vegetables, receiving blood transfusions, or coming into contact with pet feces. And here we return to cats, because it is in their intestines that this most dangerous microorganism parasitizes, and they are its main hosts.

However, you need to know that cats excrete harmful Toxoplasma only once in their lives, and most often this happens at a very young age. After this, they develop immunity, and they no longer pose any danger. Alas, most people are completely unaware whether their pet was sick in childhood or not, and therefore doctors advise playing it safe.

According to statistics, one woman out of a hundred becomes infected with toxoplasmosis after contact with a pet. And these sad figures only confirm the fact that it is better to really stay away from cat feces, and under no circumstances clean up the cat litter. If there is no one to help with this, then, unfortunately, you really need to think about who you can give your pet to during pregnancy.

Of course, risk is a noble cause, and those who don’t take risks don’t drink champagne, but in this matter these catchphrases and sayings are completely inappropriate. The main responsibility of the expectant mother is to do everything possible to protect her child, even if this means making sacrifices. After all, even if you have to part with your beloved cat or male cat for a while, remember that in nine months you will have both a healthy baby and a faithful furry friend by your side, who will have nothing to blame. Now you understand why pregnant women should not clean up after cats.

“What kind of pets live in the house?” – a pregnant woman may see such a question in the exchange card and wonder why the doctor needs this information. What threat can harmless domestic cats pose to the expectant mother and her baby? Why shouldn’t pregnant women pet cats and is this really true? Is this statement a myth, or can the ban be scientifically explained?

Symptoms

Toxoplasmosis in cats often occurs without any symptoms. For example, in a healthy animal, symptoms of infection can only be expressed in enlarged lymph nodes. This incubation period lasts 1-6 weeks. Then the disease passes into latent (latent), subacute and acute forms.

Latent form

toxoplasmosis is the most common. With it, the symptoms of the disease are so insignificant that the owners usually do not attach importance to them: redness of the eyes, slight nasal discharge, short-term diarrhea, slight weight loss, temporary loss of appetite. As the disease progresses to the chronic stage, these symptoms disappear.

In subacute

With toxoplasmosis, an increase in body temperature, redness of the eyes and the appearance of purulent discharge from them, and lung damage (cough, rapid breathing) are observed.

When about stroma

Toxoplasmosis symptoms are the same, but more pronounced. In addition, the cat may refuse to eat, drooling, shortness of breath, muscle tremors, and weight loss. If the nervous system is damaged, changes in coordination, seizures, and even paralysis may occur.

Real threats

Let's move away from the far-fetched and analyze the risks that are really associated with cats. An adult, healthy person can carry the disease within himself for years without any manifestations or symptoms. During pregnancy, the body wastes resources more actively , which increases the risk of developing an already acquired or “fresh” disease.

Worms are the first, quite expected threat, which will bring only slight discomfort in everyday life and real damage during pregnancy. All pets become infected with worms, even if they never leave their home. Moreover, all people become infected with parasites, but they just don’t think about it. Many human doctors make fun of the owners of cats and dogs, since people regularly worm their patients, but consider themselves “clean”.

The moral is simple - Prevention of worms is mandatory , both for animals and for all family members. The animal is treated once every 3-4 months; human drugs usually have an immediate effect. That is, you took the pills, they did their job, and in a week you can become infected again. However, do not panic and take medications every week. The human body is adapted (!) to live with “neighbors”; the main thing is to prevent the parasites from running wild and multiplying.

Similar recommendations apply to fungal infections , in other words, depriving and its varieties. Any kitten or puppy picked up on the street can be a carrier of fungi. There is nothing wrong with this if you are aware of the problem and take all necessary security measures. Modern medications can cure a cat of ringworm (or other fungal agents) with two injections. For the speedy healing of wounds, ointments and emulsions are used.

Note! Treating fungal infections at random will take a long time. Contact a veterinary clinic where a skin scraping will be taken from your pet. Knowing the type of pathogen, the veterinarian will prescribe the most effective treatment.

Terrible and terrible Toxoplasmosis , which scares absolutely all pregnant women. In fact, this topic is not a joke; a pregnant woman affected by toxoplasma will either lose her child or give birth to an unhealthy one. The damage caused by toxoplasmosis is similar to that caused by rubella during pregnancy.

Important! The body of a healthy person (adult or child) independently copes with toxoplasmosis without intervention. Parasites enter the gastrointestinal tract, to which the immune system immediately reacts. The process of struggle is very stormy, but imperceptible. The only symptom (in a healthy person) is low-grade fever for 3-10 days. After neutralizing Toxoplasma, a person develops stable and lifelong immunity. When testing for antibodies, so-called titers to toxoplasmosis are detected (by analogy with chickenpox and rubella).

So much attention is paid to this threat, as if every cat sneezes a pure concentrate of the virus, carries it on its fur and deliberately leaves it on all surfaces in the house. Every woman planning to have a child needs to know the following facts about toxoplasmosis:

If you've owned a cat (or several cats), chances are you've already had toxoplasmosis and don't even know it. The same goes for girls who often came into contact with stray animals, picked them up, treated them, and found them a home.

Whether you have had toxoplasmosis can be determined before pregnancy or in its early stages through a blood test.

Whether a cat is a carrier of the virus can be determined by a blood test.

The cat is the optimal carrier of the parasite, that is, in its body it becomes the strongest.

To become infected with toxoplasmosis, you need to try hard and ignore basic hygiene rules.

Note! Toxoplasmosis is transmitted not only to people; the bulk of the parasites “return” to rodents, homeless baleen-striped ones. Thus, the microorganisms affect more cats and multiply globally.

Suppose you are still afraid of toxoplasmosis, what to do in this case. The first thing is to take the cat to a veterinary clinic and get tested. If the result is positive, the threat is more real, the pet needs treatment, and you must take care of yourself. If the result is negative, the Ward can become infected and infect you in only one way:

While walking down the street, a cat should catch a rodent that is a carrier of toxoplasmosis in an active form (the virus has several stages of development and may be in the sleep stage, that is, there will be no threat of transmission). The second option is for the pet to generously exchange saliva with the carrier or eat the feces of a sick animal.

Next, the incubation period will begin - approximately 2 weeks. The virus needs this period to get stronger and wake up.

Afterwards, the agents will begin to “come out” of the cat with feces... but that’s not all.

The infected “clump” needs to be kept warm for 2–3 days for the parasite to multiply and become stronger in the conditions of the “outside world.”

Further, for infection, fecal particles must somehow get into the mouth of a person, in our case, a pregnant woman.

Important! Statistically, most people become infected with toxoplasmosis not from cats, litter boxes or pet feces, but from soil and sand! For example, in the courtyards of apartment buildings there are sandboxes, which are natural breeding grounds for toxoplasmosis and worms.

Diagnostics

It can be quite difficult to understand that an animal has toxoplasmosis. Why?

When infected with Toxoplasma, the body develops a response from the immune system. Therefore, the circulation (reproduction, movement and damage of new cells) of Toxoplasma in the body is limited in time. When re-infected under the influence of immunity, Toxoplasma no longer forms cysts in the intestines. As a result, Toxoplasma affects the cells of internal organs and becomes “blocked” in them. This condition can persist throughout life without external manifestation.

If the initial infection of healthy animals causes minor symptoms, then subsequent infections occur without them at all.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis appear when the cat's body is weakened and the immune response develops very slowly or does not develop at all.

It is also difficult to determine toxoplasmosis in cats because in early manifestations of the disease, fecal analysis for toxoplasma cysts may not yet reveal infection.

How can you find out if a cat has toxoplasmosis?

In large cities, veterinary clinics perform immunological tests for toxoplasmosis on animals. That is, such an analysis cannot be done everywhere.

The symptoms of toxoplasmosis are so nonspecific that cats are often diagnosed with toxoplasmosis even though they are suffering from another disease with similar clinical signs. You cannot make a diagnosis without laboratory tests(!).

Precautionary measures

The main way to minimize the risk of infection of mother and child is to completely isolate the pet from the woman. If these measures are too drastic, you can have the animal tested in advance and, even when it is completely healthy, transfer the duties of cleaning and feeding the pet to another family member. During the period of planning conception, it is better for a woman to do screening tests for the presence of antibodies to toxoplasmosis in order to make sure that immunity has been developed and calmly endure these 9 months in safety for the baby. If there is no one to delegate the cleaning of the tray, you must wear personal protective equipment (change of clothes, gloves).

The danger of toxoplasmosis for humans

Unfortunately, in humans, Toxoplasma is especially prone to attack the nervous system and brain. Foci of destruction that arise in the brain are then surrounded by a fibrous capsule and calcified. In the future, these lesions can cause disruption of the normal functioning of the central nervous system.

For pregnant women, infection with toxoplasmosis is dangerous due to the fact that toxoplasma that penetrates the placenta to the fetus can cause serious disturbances in its development. The most severe consequences of infection occur in the first trimester of pregnancy, but most often it ends in miscarriage and rarely in the birth of a child with significant developmental disorders.

Doctors often suggest that a pregnant woman get rid of her cat in order to prevent infection and the birth of a child with pathologies. How justified is this?

Ideas about toxoplasmosis and the role of animals in its transmission are often erroneous not only among ordinary people, but even among specialists - doctors and veterinarians. Incorrect information about this invasion often leads to “toxoplasmophobia” - a panicky fear of pets.

Some statistics

: From studies by American and Hungarian statisticians, it follows that only 0.5-1% of pregnant women in the USA and Europe are infected with toxoplasmosis, and only 40% of them pass it on to the fetus. And only a small part of infected fruits show obvious signs of the disease. And in almost all cases, the cause of infection was undercooked meat.

Signs and superstitions

Among the most common reasons why pregnant women should not have any contact with cats:

You cannot play or pick him up - the child will have many enemies.
You should not pet cats, especially fluffy ones - the newborn will develop subcutaneous hair (“bristles”) on its back, which will interfere with restful sleep. It will need to be removed with milk or rolled out by a healer.
You can't look a cat in the eye - it will steal the soul of an unborn child.
You should not be allowed to lie on the breast - the milk for feeding the baby will spoil.
An animal should not be placed on a pregnant woman's stomach - something bad could happen to the baby.
You cannot kick or offend a cat - this sign predicts a difficult birth for a pregnant woman, problems with the child’s legs (clubfoot, ankle deformities) or the appearance of other physical defects.

It’s really not worth hitting an animal, not so much because of signs, but because of the possibility of harm. For educational purposes, this method will also not be effective. Cats do not have a feeling of guilt; accordingly, they do not associate their behavior with an educational “slap”, but perceive it as an encroachment on freedom. In this way, you can quickly ensure that your pet harbors a grudge and even takes revenge in his own way.

A kebab is much more dangerous than a cat! Debunking myths

Myth one:

You can get toxoplasmosis by cleaning your cat's litter. In order for Toxoplasma to become infectious, it needs to mature, which takes from one to five days! Therefore, you cannot become infected with toxoplasmosis by removing fresh cat feces

. You should clean your cat's litter box daily, rinse off traces of feces, and then wash your hands.

Myth two:

any sick cat is contagious. After a cat is infected with toxoplasmosis, the release of cysts continues for up to three weeks, then this process stops. Therefore, the source of infection is the feces of only those cats that have recently become infected.

A cat is contagious to humans during the period of subacute or acute manifestations of toxoplasmosis. For example, while caring for a sick animal, you can inhale toxoplasma that is released when the cat sneezes (they die in the air within a few minutes). Then toxoplasmosis in a cat goes into a latent chronic stage and can only manifest itself in the form of temporary diarrhea. During this period, which lasts for life, the cat’s toxoplasma is “blocked” inside the cells, and no animal secretions contain them. Therefore, chronic cat toxoplasmosis is not contagious to its owners.

But we must remember that the cat becomes contagious again for a while with each new infection(!)

, which can occur if she receives raw meat or hunts mice or, while walking, becomes infected through the cysts of other cats.

Myth three:

There is no beast worse than a cat. During the development of the disease, dogs can also be contagious. Toxoplasma may be present in their saliva. When a dog licks its owner, toxoplasma enters the human body through scratches or the mucous membrane of the eye, mouth or nose. During daily walks, a dog may pick up something from the ground or, while lying on the ground, pick up toxoplasma cysts on its fur. Then these cysts enter the house, and there, through dust or hands contaminated by stroking the dog, into the owner’s body. Thus, dogs are a more likely source of toxoplasmosis infection for humans than cats.

Myth four:

Pets are the main cause of toxoplasmosis. People rarely become infected directly from a sick animal. The main sources of human infection are soil contaminated with cysts, street dust, and, most importantly, meat that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment.

. In this regard, poorly cooked kebab is more dangerous than a domestic cat. Children can become infected while playing in the sandbox.

Symptoms

: Primary infection is usually disguised as a viral cold. Then toxoplasmosis enters the chronic latent stage. However, clinical signs are noticeable if the immune system is weakened.

Diagnostics

Today, there are several methods for diagnosing toxoplasmosis, for example, the most reliable is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which is performed by all well-known clinics. And if a woman is planning her pregnancy, then she should undergo all the necessary tests in advance, including for toxoplasmosis.

During pregnancy, you should not have contact with a cat due to the likelihood of allergies in the child.

The second no less serious danger is the possibility of an allergic reaction in the baby to animal fur or secretions. Many mothers have a question about whether an allergy can develop in utero through contact with a cat during pregnancy. To do this, you need to understand the mechanism of formation of an allergic reaction.

What is an allergy: the mechanism of an allergic reaction

An allergy is a hypersensitive reaction of the immune system to a protein that acts as an allergen. When specific proteins enter the body, antibodies begin to be produced - immunoglobulins E. IgE activates mast cells and basophils, which leads to the development of an inflammatory response to the stimulus. An allergic reaction can be expressed in unpleasant, but fairly safe symptoms - runny nose, itching, redness, but life-threatening conditions can also occur - Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock.

Allergies occur when there is repeated exposure to an allergen after sensitization has already occurred. When the immune system first contacts the protein, antibodies are produced; this process can take several days or several years, and only with subsequent contacts does a reaction occur. This is why an adult may suddenly develop an allergy to familiar foods that he has always consumed.

Can an allergy to cats develop in the prenatal period?

Can sensitization occur in the fetus in the womb? There are no reliable studies on this topic. Parents with allergies have a higher chance of having an allergic child, but it is not 100%; the baby can be born completely healthy.

An allergic reaction to a cat is more dangerous for a pregnant woman than for her baby. It is during this period that allergies may first appear.

If the expectant mother notices that when she comes into contact with the pet, she experiences watery eyes, itching, sneezing or coughing, then the cat should be placed in another room for several days and not touched. If the symptoms go away, this indicates an allergy. In such a situation, it would be best to give the animal to another family.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

Infection with toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous during pregnancy or immediately before conception. A toxoplasmosis test can determine whether a woman is infected with toxoplasmosis and how long ago the infection occurred.

If the infection occurred long before pregnancy, then the woman may not be afraid of communicating with animals. A woman who has recovered from toxoplasmosis develops antibodies and lasting immunity.

If the infection has occurred recently, you should think about the risk to the health of the unborn child. The most severe congenital disorders develop when affected in the first trimester of pregnancy.

If the test for toxoplasmosis is negative, special care should be taken, taking into account all possible routes of infection.

In humans, transplacental transmission of toxoplasmosis is possible only once. Therefore, during a subsequent pregnancy, it is impossible to give birth to a second child with a congenital pathology.

A pregnant woman should not touch cats or clean cat litter due to the risk of toxoplasmosis.

One of the dangers that awaits women during pregnancy is the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis, the pathogens of which are carried by domestic animals. It’s not for nothing that doctors recommend that expectant mothers have less contact, communicate with cats, shift responsibility for feeding them to other family members, and not clean up the cat’s litter box. What is toxoplasmosis and how is it dangerous for the unborn child?

What is toxoplasmosis and how is it contracted?

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the microscopic protist Toxoplasma gondii. Carriers of the disease are wild and domestic animals - cats, dogs, rodents, rabbits.

A beloved pet can pose a deadly threat to the fetus in the womb of a pregnant woman. The easiest way to become infected with toxoplasmosis is through contact with cat feces while cleaning the litter box. If a woman does not wash her hands thoroughly after playing with a sick cat, the risk of infection also increases.

Toxoplasmosis occurs in acute and chronic forms. In the acute form, a sharp increase in temperature, vomiting, convulsions, and paralysis are observed. The chronic form of the disease is accompanied by low-grade fever, enlarged lymph nodes, the heart, eyes, liver, and nervous system are affected.

Toxoplasmosis is extremely dangerous for the fetus. If the mother is infected in the early stages, the embryo dies in the womb. Surviving infants exhibit abnormalities in the development of the nervous system and severe mental retardation. Possible pathologies of the fetus when a woman is infected in different trimesters of pregnancy:

I trimester	II trimester	III trimester
Anencephaly	Functional failure of internal organs	Fever
Anophthalmia	Nervous system lesions	Hepatosplenomegaly
Defects of internal organs	Thrombocytopenia	Skin rash
Hydrocephalus	Anemia	Convulsions

How can you tell if a woman has had toxoplasmosis?

When registering for pregnancy, the gynecologist sends the expectant mother for a blood test for TORCH infections. This is a comprehensive analysis that allows you to detect the most common intrauterine infections: toxoplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, syphilis, hepatitis, streptococcus, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes.

The main method for diagnosing toxoplasmosis is serological. The laboratory determines the level of immunoglobulin G, which reaches its maximum value 1–2 months after infection. If there is a significant increase in antibodies, then an analysis is carried out for the presence of IgM, which will indicate an acute form of the disease.

What to do if a woman gets sick with an acute form of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy? It is possible to determine whether the fetus is infected using amniocentesis - the collection of amniotic fluid for subsequent laboratory testing. If the parasite is detected, treatment with Spiramycin, Pyrimethamine and Sulfadiazine is prescribed, but the prognosis still remains unfavorable.

Is it worth getting rid of a cat due to pregnancy?

For many people, a pet becomes another member of the family. It’s hard to get rid of a beloved cat that has lived in the house for many years, but is it worth it?

The danger during pregnancy is primary infection with toxoplasma. Most people had contact with parasites in early childhood, while playing with yard cats. In such cases, the immune system produces antibodies that protect the body from new invasion. If a cat lives in an apartment for a long time, then either the owners already have antibodies, or the pet is healthy and there is no need to be afraid of it.

Is it wise to have a cat while carrying a baby?

A different situation arises if future parents want to get a cat while expecting a child. A new animal may be a carrier of not only toxoplasma, but also other infections, so it would be wiser to wait.

Determining on your own whether a cat is sick or not is quite difficult. When infected with toxoplasma, an animal experiences diarrhea, vomiting, and scanty discharge from the eyes and nose. Owners may consider these symptoms a sign of poisoning and not pay attention to them. Only a veterinarian can tell for sure whether a cat is a carrier of parasites or not after laboratory tests.

No one can answer the question of whether to get a cat during pregnancy or not for future parents. It is important to assess the risks wisely and decide for yourself whether the desire to have a pet is comparable to the threat it may pose.