title: Testing for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: a study of the routines in primary antenatal care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The question of benefit of screening for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in pregnancy to prevent impairment in the infant has not been settled. Despite this, it is believed that such testing is common. The aim of this study was to describe the test routines and to identify factors associated with testing in primary antenatal care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  All women who gave birth at Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, in May 2000 were included. The number of antibody tests during pregnancy was obtained from the patient registry at the department of microbiology at the same hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  81% (361/446) had been tested for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy. Women attending primary antenatal care at a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology were most likely to be tested. Among women with no signs of prior toxoplasmosis, 35% (110/317) were tested only once.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of pregnant women are being tested for toxoplasmosis even though such testing has no documented preventive effect and has not been recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskild
authors.forename: Gunn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fallås Dahl
authors.forename: Kjetil K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Melby
authors.forename: Britt-Ingjerd
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Nesheim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology*