THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONGENITAL INFECTION WITH TOXOPLASMA GONDII ON THE OFFSPRING.

Statistically, 90% of the pregnant women who are also infected with Toxoplasma gondii do not show any symptoms. During the parasitemia that is consecutive to the primary site of infection, the parasite disseminates to the placenta through blood, so the infection can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta. Most of the times, the routine examination of the newborns, does not show the usual signs of congenital toxoplasmosis. The study aims to determine the frequency of cases of congenital toxoplasmosis, to assess the health of babies and children from mothers with acute infection, and also to illustrate the consequences of the infection with Toxoplasma gondii on the offspring and to correlate them with the gestational age. This prospective study was conducted on a total sample of 152 pregnant women who were hospitalized and investigated in "Elena Doamna" Iasi Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. In the period of time between 2001 and 2014 we identified a number of 108 children (69%) showing a damage of the central nervous system (CNS) and 44 children (28%) with generalized manifestation of the disease. The mortality rate recorded in these children was 12%, without any significant differences between those with CNS damage and those with generalized disease (p<0.05). About 85% of the survivors developed mental retardation, 75% convulsions, spasticity, paralysis and 50% impaired vision. More than 80% of these children have an IQ < 70, most of them showing convulsions and severely impaired vision. The cutaneous manifestations of congenital toxoplasmosis include: rash, petechiae, bruising or massive hemorrhage secondary to thrombocytopenia. Also present in other congenital infections, the consequences on the offspring will be all the more severe as the transmission of the parasite toxoplasma infection from the pregnant woman to the foetus occurs earlier in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]