[Evaluation of the Postnatal Treatment Efficacy in Congenital Toxoplasmosis Identified by the Newborn Screening Programme]

The effectiveness of neonatal screening for anti-Toxoplasma IgM or IgA and IgM specific antibodies followed by an intensive anti-parasitic therapy for a prevention of clinical and immunological reactivations of congenital infection was studied. Thirty-five congenitally infected infants were included into clinical and serological follow-up. The children were mostly asymptomatic at birth or they expressed some non-specific reversible clinical abnormalities in neonatal period. Clinically overt toxoplasmosis occurred in 10 patients, including one infant with a severe form; 2 children had co-existing CMV infections. During the follow-up period, no clinical relapses were reported. Asymptomatic immunological rebounds of IgG or of IgG and IgA specific antibodies were observed in 16 patients. Anti-parasitic treatment initiated soon after birth seems to be promising in a prevention of early clinical sequelae of congenital T. gondii infection.