Biological screening for congenital toxoplasmosis in newborns from Jataí, Goiás, Brazil: a cross-sectional study.
Gabriela Katrinny Avelar Oliveira, Stéfanne Rodrigues Rezende Ferreira, Vanessa Oliveira Lopes de Moura and 5 others
PMID 39028847WHAT IT FOUND
No congenital toxoplasmosis cases were found in newborn heel-prick screening, although IgG antibodies were detected in 40.8% of samples and IgM was not identified.
Follow-up child samples were negative.
Key findings
01IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 40.8% of newborn heel-prick samples, and IgM was not identified.
02Of the 93 IgG-positive samples, 22 had high IgG values and were referred for repeat blood sampling of baby and mother.
03In the follow-up table, the children's peripheral blood samples were reported as negative.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The newborns were a convenience sample from parents who brought them to the municipal health center where screening was performed, so the results may not represent other places or families who were not screened. The study did not test an intervention or compare groups, so it cannot show that screening or counselling improved outcomes. Only 22 babies were monitored after high IgG results, and third collections were obtained from 18 children, so the follow-up is small. The authors report difficulty approaching families for later monitoring because many were unaware it was necessary and received little or incorrect guidance, so follow-up may have been incomplete.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 40.8% IgG-positive newborn screen as congenital toxoplasmosis. IgM was not identified, follow-up child samples were negative, and the paper says the children's IgG decreased, consistent with maternal antibodies.