Correlation of toxoplasmosis with small‑for‑gestational‑age newborns

Abstract

Background: Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women could lead to significant changes during the pregnancy, affect the outcomes of pregnancy and the timing of labour. Small‑for‑gestational‑age (SGA) newborns are defined by birthweight below the 10th percentile for gestational age. We tested an association between latent toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and deliveries of SGA babies.

Material and methods: For testing, we included 1,647 women who gave birth to a singleton baby at ≥ 37 weeks of gestation. The complement-fixation test (CFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for IgG and IgM were used. The latent form of toxoplasmosis was defined as a CFT titre of 1:8 or higher, together with index positivity IgG ELISA > 1.1 and negative IgM.

Results: There were 406 (24.7 %) women positive, and 1,241 (75.3 %) women negative for latent toxoplasmosis. Of all deliveries. 190 were SGA‑positive and 1,457 were SGA‑negative. Our study found a statistically significant association between latent toxoplasmosis and SGA foetuses born at term. The Pearson chi-square model was statistically significant (χ2(1) = 7.365, p = .007). The odds ratio was 1.567.

Conclusion: Pregnant women with latent toxoplasmosis giving birth at ≥ 37 weeks of gestation have a 1.567 times higher risk of delivering an SGA baby (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 30).

Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii; low birthweight; small for gestational age SGA.; toxoplasmosis.