What's up with this not cleaning a litter box while pregnant?

Question

I have had cats all my life. I cleaned a litter box everday for 9 months while pregnant. I didn't know anything about this before. BTW, My child is just fine....Well, she is a brat.

Answer 1

I didnt get it either, I changed the litter box all through my pregnancy and my son is fine too.

Answer 2

The name of the illness is Toxoplasmosis. The parasite enters the intestine of your cat when it eats raw meat or drinks milk from another infected bird or mammal. After the parasite enters the intestine and begins to multiply. Symptoms include sore throat, tiredness,fever,sore muscles, and sometimes trouble with vision. A pregnant woman may show no signs, but the fetus can become infected. This may cause miscarriage, early delivery,stillborn, and/or slow growth.A child born with this parasite may get eye problems,,convulsions,or mental disabilities. The pregnant woman should eat all meats well-done. She may want to have someone else change the litter for the duration of her pregnancy. You may also want to consider an automatic litter box. The parasite remains in the feces. Also, you may not want to walk without shoes while outside if your cats go outside. Remember, Always take good care of yourself and your unborn child.

Answer 3

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.)

Answer 4

It has nothing to do with the effect on your child. The reason they ask you not to change a litter box while you are pregnant is because there is something in the cats feces that can cause an illness in pregnant women. The only way it would effect your child is if you do get sick, and you arent taken care of properly, and loose it. Hope this helped.

Answer 5

Toxoplasmosis is an infection you can get from a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Although the infection is generally a mild, symptomless illness for people with healthy immune systems, it's risky to get during pregnancy because the parasite can sometimes infect the placenta and your baby.
The number of babies born in the United States with toxoplasmosis (known as "congenital toxoplasmosis") is relatively small, but the infection can be devastating, causing stillbirth or long-term damage. Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to avoid becoming infected in the first place.
Cat feces can carry Toxoplasmosis. Just because you never contracted the disease doesn't mean it doesn't exisit. I figure in this instance it is much better to be safe than sorry.

Answer 6

Cat's carry toxoplasmosis in their poop - very dangerous to the unborn child they become infected with it through Mom. Not every pregnant woman will contract toxoplasmosis from cleaning the litter box, but the risk is real and serious...get hubby to do it next time round.

Answer 7

I'm sure your daughter is fine . . .you would have known by now if she had toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection that can threaten the health of an unborn child. It is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite multiplies in the intestine of cats and is shed in cat feces, mainly into litter boxes and garden soil. You can get the parasite by handling cat litter or soil where there is cat feces. You can also get the parasite from eating undercooked meat (such as rare beef) from animals infected with the parasite.

Answer 8

It's called Toxoplasmosis and it's a disease found in cat feces that is harmful to your baby if you're exposed and it gets in your system. It's usually found more in outdoor than indoor cats but you should just get someone else to clean the catbox until you aren't pregnant anymore. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

There is bacteria in the litter box than can be harmful to you or your baby. You were lucky not to get sick from changing the litter, but it is better to have your partner or another family member take care of the litter during pregnancy.

Answer 10

I heard that the cat litter contains some kind of chemical that can be harmful to the unborn child but I have never heard of the side effects.