Definition of Congenital toxoplasmosis:

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a group of symptoms caused by infection of the unborn baby (fetus) with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The fetus can become infected with toxoplasmosis if the mother is infected with toxoplasmosis, or if she has a history of toxoplasmosis during previous pregnancies.

For the mother, the disease is generally mild and may not be evident. Infection of the fetus, however, can cause severe problems. Infection early in pregnancy results in more severe problems than later infection.