1. Many expectant mothers who have pets will question: Can they keep pets during pregnancy? In your career as a gynecologist, have there been many pregnant women with such confusion? What is your suggestion? Can pets and babies coexist?

Too long to read: Pregnant women only need to do a good check-up and pay attention to daily hygiene. Pregnancy and raising pets are two things that do not conflict with each other. What affects babies is Toxoplasma gondii, which mostly comes from cat feces.

I didn’t encounter many pregnant women before, because there were not many people raising them before, but now there are many people like them, so in recent years, more and more pregnant women have such confusion. I would recommend getting tested before getting pregnant. In fact, keeping pets has little impact on pregnant women. The most important teratogenic impact is the daily Toxoplasma gondii. It is generally recommended that pregnant women get a blood test before pregnancy. If she has been infected before pregnancy, it will have little impact on the pregnancy, and the chance of being infected during pregnancy is also relatively small; if she has not been infected before, she will be infected during pregnancy. Infection, especially in the first three months, is what we often call primary infection, which can easily cause deformities in the baby. For example, congenital mental retardation, deafness, hydrocephalus, etc. Toxoplasma gondii mainly comes from cat feces, which contain parasite cysts. Pregnant women who raise cats should pay special attention. I think pets and babies can coexist. As long as pregnant women do a good job of check-ups and pay attention to daily hygiene, pregnancy and raising pets are two things that do not conflict with each other. However, we generally do not recommend raising babies after pregnancy. Unlike those who have kept pets before, have already gotten along with them, and are familiar with the pet's personality. If you raise a pet after pregnancy, it will require an adaptation process, and the chance of being scratched or bitten by a pet is relatively high.

2. What would you suggest if a pregnant woman and her companion pet live in the same living space? During the entire pregnancy preparation and pregnancy period, what details of life should be paid attention to? What is the difference between the prenatal check-up for raising pets and the ordinary prenatal check-up? For expectant mothers who keep pets, what kind of examinations should be done to avoid the so-called risks caused by keeping pets? Can I still get pregnant if I have been infected with Toxoplasma gondii?
Too long to read: Pregnant women should avoid close contact with dogs, pay attention to absorption and avoid eating raw food. Before getting pregnant, you should have a physical examination to check for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies.

If pregnant women and companion pets live in the same space, they are generally advised not to have too close contact. Like pet feces, let your family members handle it and try not to touch it yourself. In addition to pets, we also need to pay attention to food issues. For example, if raw and cooked meat are not separated, if the raw meat is contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii, and a pregnant woman happens to eat such raw meat, the child will be at risk of developing deformities. Therefore, meat must be cooked well, and hands must be washed after handling cats. In the process of preparing for pregnancy, we will recommend that owners take their pets for a check-up first. And try not to let pets go outside to eat unclean food. For example, cats should not be allowed to catch mice and become infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

As mentioned above, it is usually necessary to be careful about doting.Mom gets a blood test. Check to see if there are antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in the body. If you were infected with Toxoplasma gondii before pregnancy, this is not a big deal; if you are not infected, you should be very careful during the first trimester of pregnancy. For pregnant women who have not been infected with Toxoplasma gondii before, we usually give her a blood test after three months of pregnancy to ensure that they are not infected with Toxoplasma gondii. After three months, if you get infected, it won't be a big problem. Abroad, some drugs can be used for treatment, because the domestic situation has not happened yet, so the most important thing is to be very careful in the first three months. Other obstetric examinations are the same as for pregnant women.

3. There is a saying that as long as you don’t eat animal feces, you can’t be infected with Toxoplasma gondii. What do you think of this statement? Are the risks to the baby's health only from companion pets throughout pregnancy? Besides having a pet, are there any other risks of bacterial infections during pregnancy? What do you think about giving away your pet as soon as you get pregnant?

The main thing is to pay attention to your diet. The main reason is that cat feces will contain Toxoplasma gondii eggs, so pregnant women should try not to dispose of cat feces. There is also the issue of eating undercooked meat. In foreign countries, the proportion of pregnant women infected with Toxoplasma gondii is relatively high, ranging from 30% to 50%. This is mainly related to the fact that they eat more raw meat. However, our country's eating habits are relatively good, and we basically eat cooked food. Therefore, the proportion of pregnant women infected with Toxoplasma is relatively low, only about 8%. Another thing to mention is that when eating hot pot, many people like to blanch the meat slightly before eating it. The meat is not fully cooked. This situation will also make it easier to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

In fact, the risks caused by keeping pets are far lower than the risks caused by other things. When it comes to bacterial infection, the scope is very large, such as not disinfecting things, eating unclean food, bad food, etc. Your living and hygiene habits, etc., have nothing to do with keeping pets. Another example is the previously popular pneumonia and H1N1 virus. These are airborne things and have a lot to do with keeping pets. It’s just that the immunity of pregnant women is indeed lower than that of other people. For example, in the spring and summer seasons when these bacteria are more likely to breed, we will also remind pregnant women to pay attention to their bodies and not get sick. As long as pregnant women avoid close contact with pets. For example, some people like to eat bites with pets or sleep together. This should be avoided after pregnancy. As long as pregnant women pay attention to daily cleaning and hygiene, there is no big problem in keeping pets. Therefore, it is very difficult to compare the risks of bacterial infection with pets. I can only say that the risks of keeping pets are really not high. Based on what has been said above, if you have kept a pet before, there is really no need to give it away when you are pregnant. People nowadays have a particularly deep affection for pets. For example, I met a couple before who originally decided to become a DINK family and really treated their dogs and cats as children. Once you have a certain emotional foundation with your pet, you have to give up such a close relationship if you get pregnant. In fact, it will also cause some psychological discomfort to the pregnant woman.It has a good impact, for example, it is a very common situation in foreign countries to raise pets during pregnancy.

4. When the baby is born with a weak constitution, what are the restrictions on the contact between pets and the baby? When the baby is born, how can we prevent respiratory infections when the baby gets along with pets?

I am not a newborn, but from an obstetrical point of view, the baby should not touch pets first after he is born. First, the baby's immunity is still very weak, and second, pet hair can cause allergies. It is better to wait until the child is older. As for how to prevent it, generally speaking, in fact, normal feeding of babies who work and rest normally can be done. In my opinion, children's exposure to pets is a great way to build their character.