Congenital toxoplasmosis

Symptoms:

• having a cat in the household during pregnancy
• history of toxoplasmosis in mother while pregnant
• prematurity
• small birth weight infant
• increased or prolonged jaundice
• skin rash (petechiae or ecchymosis) at birth

Signs and tests:

The physical examination may show signs of:

• chorioretinitis
• cerebral calcifications
• hydrocephalus
• macrocephaly or microcephaly
• lymphadenopathy
• anemia

Late manifestations (signs and symptoms that occur late in the disease) include:

• seizures
• mental retardation
• various neurologic manifestations
• visual impairment
• hearing loss

Tests include:
Prenatal diagnosis

• maternal antibodies (see antibody titer)
• ultrasound of the abdomen
• amniotic fluid and fetal blood testing

Postnatal diagnosis

• CT scan
• standard ophthalmic examination
• neurologic examinations
• antibody studies on cord blood and cerebrospinal fluid