A retrospective study of seroconversion against Toxoplasma gondii during 3,000 pregnancies in Stockholm

The incidence of Toxoplasma gondii infections in Swedish women during pregn ancy is largely unknown. This retrospective pilot study was performed on co nsecutive sera sampled from 3,094 women at delivery during 1992-93. Specifi c Ige anti-toxoplasma antibodies were found in 14% (450/3,094). Serum drawn from the women during the first trimester and cord blood from their childr en were analysed for Ige and IgM anti-toxoplasma antibodies. A seroconversi on during pregnancy was found in 4 women, whose children were followed up a t 4 years of age. No signs of sequelae, either neurological or ophtalmologi cal, were found in 3 of the children. The fourth child died at 1 year of ag e of a disease of different aetiology. An incidence of a primary toxoplasma infection of > 1/1,000 pregnancies in this pilot study justifies a larger study.