What are the risks of getting toxoplasmosis?

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I'm am 14 1/2 weeks pregnant. A week ago my partner and I adopted two 8 week old kittens from the human society. I never clean the litter box, but the kittens are near me all the time. I pet them and play with them all the time. They sleep with me at night. I have quite a few scratches from them, too. I just wanted to know if being around the kittens constantly could put me at risk for contracting toxoplasmosis? Is just staying away from the litter box enough? Thanks.
No you can't get toxoplasmosis from the kittens themselves. Its only the cat poop you have to be worried about, and even then its rare as only outdoor cats who hunt mice & birds have a chance of carrying the bacteria. You are more likely to get toxoplasmosis from eating produce that hasn't been washed properly or gardening!  (+ info)

What does toxoplasmosis actually 'do' to the unborn baby?

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I have a friend that is 8 months pregnant and cleans her own cat litter with no gloves or anything. She says because her cats are TOTALLY indoors and don't get raw meat and rarely get scraps of any kind that is fine. (apparantely toxoplasmosis is found in raw meats that transfers to the fecus). What does this actually do to the baby?
I'm not sure, but if she has had cats for most of her life, she probably has already been exposed to toxoplasmosis, and has the antibodies.
This is what my Dr. told me  (+ info)

What causes congenital cateracts and How dangerous are they?

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I had an eye appointment yesterday and the Dr. said I have astigmatism (which I already knew) and he also said it looks like I have a congenital cateract in my left eye. My right eye is fine but he says there is "no correcting the left eye with prescription" He referred me to speacialist but said the probably would not do surgery becasue of my age....? If anyone knows anything about congenital cateracts please let me know!

P.S I'm 20 years old.
As the eye develops while you are a fetus alot of things have to happen just right for all the components to develop just right. Thankfully, almost always, these things do happen just right. In some cases, though, as the eye is developing one or both eyes may not develop exactly as we would like. When this involves the lens of the eye it many times will cause a congenital cataract. Congenital cataracts, then, are present from birth but because the lens structure is not quite normal many times a congenital cataract will worsen or time. As to how dangerous are they, as long as the lens structure is intact, the lens capsule is intact, and the lens does not begin to sluff tissue as it becomes hyper mature, then the cataract itself is not dangerous. Of course, if it becomes more dense then your vision will continue to become worse. Once you and your doctor decide the time is right for a cataract operation and lens implantation then you should see a dramatic improvement in your vision. Without examining you I really can't be very specific in my recommendations so I think it would be best to ask these questions of your specialist so he can give you his impressions, expectations, and treatment plan. Hope this helped.  (+ info)

What is the difference between CORONARY and CONGENITAL heart disease?

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I'm filling out a family health history form for my doctor and it's asking if anyone in my family has had coronary or congenital heart disease. I know my mom has heart disease but I don't know which kind it is. One of the arteries to her heart was becoming blocked and they had to put a stent in that artery to open it back up - it's called angioplasty. Is that coronary or congenital? Thanks.
Congenital means "from birth." Congenital heart disease is something you are born with, such as a murmur. If her artery is becoming slowly blocked, she does not have congenital disease. Coronary is the build up of plaques inside the artery walls. See attached link :)  (+ info)

How do i avoid getting toxoplasmosis from my kitten?

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I'm a little over 20 weeks pregnant and i know the negative effects of toxoplasmosis that come from my kittens feces and can get on me while i'm changing her litter. Is there anything i can do other than wash my hands constantly to prevent this? And will washing my hands all the time really help?
i also just bought "litter liners" which is just like a trash bags for the litter box. i just grab the bag and tie it shut. will that help?
Your best bet is to just have someone else do it. If that's not possible then you may want to consider getting a litter pan that cleans it self. You can also try wearing latex gloves and a face mask to prevent you from breathing it in.  (+ info)

What kind of congenital heart research should i do?

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I am really in doing congenital heart research in China. I have been working with the China California Heart Watch, a non for profit organization designed to help diagnose, treat, and help aid children with Congenital heart disease get the surgeries they need. I am a student at UCI and plan to apply for a research scholarship, what kind of research could I do which could be done with a 5,000 scholarship?

Thanks!
i have no idea, only kind of research i know is to find the cause or a cure or prevention for congenital heart disease, or a treatment(new surgeries or medicine to treat it) but there are at least 35 known types, so there may be more then one cure/prevention/cause. I would like to say thank you for helping though, Congenital heart disease doesnt get as much money as it need for research. I really hope one day there is a cure or prevention found for it so kids wont have to go through the same thing as me and my friends.  (+ info)

How is congenital heart disease related to a faulty signal transduction pathway?

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I can find plenty of information on congenital heart disease and plenty of information on cell signaling/signal transduction but i cant find out how they are related can anyone help?
In some cases of congenital heart disease there are physical malformations that can cause electrical signals from one area of the heart to another area to be attenuated or timed incorrectly. The signal transduction pathway may be operating at the cellular level as it should. If the signals received to initiate the complex process are weak or not timed properly the resulting release of glucose to power the heart muscle may not be sufficient to sustain normal heart function. Muscle contractions may be either weak or not timed properly to co-ordinate with other heart muscles. In some cases there may be a lack of sufficient amount of a particular enzyme which may result in the signal transduction pathway within the cell to function improperly. As you may be aware from your research, normal heart function is a very complex process involving a great number of steps which all must take place in proper sequence. The number of steps within the cell alone are very complex. I hope that gives you some insight on the subject.  (+ info)

What's the difference between cretinism and congenital hypothyroidism?

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Is congenital hypothyroidism a TYPE of cretinism? Or vice-versa?

I'm doing a research project and I'd appreciate anyone who can help! Thank you in advance!
Cretinism is caused by extreme hypothyroidism during fetal (congenital), infancy or childhood.
So congenital cretinism is the same as congenital (severe) hypothyroidism.  (+ info)

What is Congenital diverticulum of the bladder?

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My 3yr old daughter has been diagnosed with some type of mass pushing on her bladder. Doctors are not sure what it is. I was just wondering what congenital diverticulum of the bladder is.
They are pouches in the bladder wall that a person is born with (congenital) or later acquires. A congenital bladder diverticulum represents an area of weakness in the bladder wall through which some of the lining of the bladder is forced out. (A small balloon squeezed in a fist will create a diverticular-like effect between the fingers.) Bladder diverticula may be multiple and they often occur at the entrance of the upper urinary system into the bladder (ureterovesical junction). Acquired diverticula are usually related to bladder obstruction, most commonly as a result of benign prostatic hyperplasia  (+ info)

Is Congenital Heart Disease a disease that is associated with aging?

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I am doing a project about Congenital Heart Disease for my sophmore Health Academy Focus.....
I need to know if Congenital Heart Disease is associated with aging.....If possilbe can you also give me links on places where I can find more information on the topic.
thank you
Congenital means it was present at birth. It is not associated with aging, although it may be undetected until adulthood, depending on its severity.  (+ info)

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