Role of spiramycin/cotrimoxazole association in the mother-to-child transmission of toxoplasmosis infection in pregnancy

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2008 Aug 21. [Epub ahead of print]

Role of spiramycin/cotrimoxazole association in the mother-to-child transmission of toxoplasmosis infection in pregnancy

Valentini P, Annunziata ML, Angelone DF, Masini L, De Santis M, Testa A, Grillo RL, Speziale D, Ranno O.

Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, L.go A. Gemelli, 8, 00168, Rome, Italy, pvalentini@rm.unicatt.it.

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of spiramycin/cotrimoxazole in the mother-to-child transmission of Toxoplasma gondii infection. We retrospectively analysed 76 infants born to mothers with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy and estimated the risk of mother-to-child transmission considering the gestational age at the time of infection. Seventy-six mothers were given spiramycin, cotrimoxazole and folinic acid; only two babies (2.6%) were infected by Toxoplasma and none of them showed signs or symptoms of congenital infection or interference of sulphamid on tetrahydrofolate reductase (THFR) either at birth or during follow-up. Treatment did not need to be stopped in any mother because of adverse drug effects. Our results seem to encourage the use of spiramycin/cotrimoxazole in women with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.

PMID: 18716804 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]