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Increased pregnancy weight gain in women with latent toxoplasmosis and RhD-positivity protection against this effect

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2010

Š. KAŇKOVÁ ,
J. ŠULC  and
J. FLEGR
Š. KAŇKOVÁ
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, CZ-128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
J. ŠULC
Affiliation:
Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Nad Buďánkami II/24, CZ-150 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic
J. FLEGR*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, CZ-128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
*
*Corresponding author: Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic. Tel: +420 221951821. Fax: +420 224919704. E-mail: flegr@cesnet.cz
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Summary

Objective. RhD-positive subjects are protected against toxoplasmosis-associated impairment of psychomotor performance. Here we searched for RhD-positivity-associated maternal protection against the effects of toxoplasmosis. Methods. In the present retrospective cohort study, we analysed data from 785 (139 RhD-negative) Toxoplasma-free and 194 (27 RhD-negative) Toxoplasma-infected pregnant women. We searched for effects of toxoplasmosis and Rhd-phenotype on maternal weight before pregnancy, pregnancy weight gain, fetal ultrasound data (biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, femur length) and on birth length and weight. Results. At pregnancy week 16, the RhD-negative mothers with toxoplasmosis gained more weight than others (P<0·001). The difference of about 1600 g remained approximately constant from pregnancy week 16 until the end of pregnancy. Neither toxoplasmosis nor RhD phenotype had any effect on fetal bioparameter data or birth length and weight. Conclusion. The most parsimonious explanation for the observed data is that the RhD-positive phenotype might protect infected subjects against a broad spectrum of detrimental effects of latent toxoplasmosis, including excessive gestational weight gain.

Keywords

pregnancy weight gainRhDToxoplasmablood group
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 137 , Issue 12 , October 2010 , pp. 1773 - 1779
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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