Objectives: This study was performed to assess the effect of a prevention programme against congenital toxoplasmosis conducted as part of the French health policy developed in the Rhône department.
Methods: A descriptive epidemiological survey was conducted in 1991 including 806 post-partum women who were hospitalized in 22 maternities in the Rhône department.
Results: Forty-nine percent of the women had negative serology tests. French legislation requiring detecting non-immunized women at diagnosis of pregnancy was applied satisfactorily by the attending physicians. Inversely, women at risk were insufficiently informed: only 17% of the women at risk were aware of the three main routes of contamination; 63% believed vaccination is possible and 11% though they had been vaccinated. Deficient information was probably the cause of poor compliance to preventive measures as observed in this sample: only 17% of the serologically negative women stated they had applied anti-toxoplasmosis prophylaxy measures.
Conclusion: Women at risk must be informed to convince them to modify their behaviour during pregnancy. The role of the attending physician and biologist is of major importance.