(METRO) Pregnant women receive a lot of advice while they’re with child. Much of that guidance comes from their physicians and is offered in an effort to ensure expecting mothers have healthy pregnancies.
Expecting mothers may be surprised by some of the precautionary measures their physicians recommend, while others measures, such as abstaining from alcohol, are more widely known. One recommendation that women may be surprised by is the need to be cautious around their pets. For example, the March of Dimes, an organization devoted to ensuring the health of expecting mothers and their babies, recommends that women be careful with pets during pregnancy.
Pregnant women with cats at home must be mindful of toxoplasmosis, a disease that the Mayo Clinic reports results from infection with the toxoplasma gondii parasite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cats get infected with the toxoplasma parasite by eating infected rodents, birds or other small animals. Cats al...