Litter boxes cleaning while pregant

The caution pregnant women hear regarding contact with cat litter reflects concern over a disease called toxoplasmosis. More than 60 million people in the United States have been infected with the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, but very few become ill. However, if you contract the infection for the first time while you are pregnant, it can reach your baby, possibly causing miscarriage, brain damage, or other serious illness.

One common source of the infection is cat feces, either in litter boxes or in soil contaminated by infected cats who wander outdoors. The parasite is also present in some raw or partially cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison. (Rare beef is not typically a source of this infection.) Cats pick up the infection from eating raw meat, typically from animals they catch outdoors. You can become infected when you ingest the parasite -- by eating undercooked meat or by putting your hands to your mouth after gardening or handling cat litter.

Cats can spread the parasite in their feces only for a few weeks after they are first infected, so if you have (or ever had) a cat that normally spends time outdoors, chances are that it was infected long ago -- and that you were, too. Your veterinarian is a good resource if you have questions about this infection in your cat.

If you are infected for the first time during pregnancy, you may have flu-like symptoms, including swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last for a few days to several weeks. However, most people who become infected with toxoplasmosis don't know it.

If you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, ask your midwife or doctor to test your blood for evidence of past toxoplasmosis infection. The test should be done as early in pregnancy as possible (or, even better, before you conceive), to make it easier to distinguish past exposure from new infection. (Many providers do this test routinely during the first prenatal exam.)

If the test is positive, that means you have already had the infection, and there is no need to worry about passing a new infection to your baby. If the test is negative, you should take precautions to avoid becoming infected during pregnancy, as follows:

• Wear gloves when you garden or work with soil. Wash your hands well with soap and water after outdoor activities, especially before you eat or prepare any food.

• If you must handle raw meat, wear clean latex gloves when you touch the raw meat and when you wash any cutting boards, sinks, knives, and other utensils that might have touched the raw meat. Wash your hands after you are done.

• Eat only meat that has been thoroughly cooked -- that is, until it is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Don't sample meat before it is fully cooked.

• If you have cats that normally live indoors, keep them there to avoid their becoming infected. Feed them dry or canned cat food.

• Don't acquire a new cat or kitten or adopt a stray during your pregnancy.

• If possible, ask another family member to change your cat's litter box. If you must do it, wear a dust mask and gloves, and wash your hands well afterwards. Also, scoop the litter every day; that may sound as though it's exposing you to more risk, but in fact, your risk is greater if you allow the feces to dry, when the infectious particles can become airborne.