Friends of child-bearing age always hear their elders or “past generations” remind them not to have pets during pregnancy preparation or during the pregnancy process. Why is that? There are several reasons: 1. Toxoplasma gondii: The most common means of transmission of toxoplasmosis is through the consumption of undercooked meat or contact with cat feces infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Most infected women of childbearing age or pregnant mothers have no typical clinical symptoms or have mild symptoms that can easily be overlooked. Only a small number of people have fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle and joint pain and abdominal pain when first infected, and the symptoms disappear after a few days or weeks as the body develops immunity. Once the infection occurs, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy, about 40% of fetuses will have severe damage, with miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal disease, or be born with liver and brain lesions or malformations, such as cataracts, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, mental retardation, and hepatosplenomegaly. It is recommended to go to the hospital for a TORCH (eugenics) test before pregnancy preparation to find out if you have Toxoplasma gondii, which is the sum of the initials of Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and other pathogens. If the TORCH test shows that the woman has been infected with Toxoplasma gondii, it means that antibodies have been developed in her body. If the test shows that she has never been infected, she should be careful about the way she feeds her pet and her diet throughout her pregnancy, and it is recommended that she send her pet to a relative’s home or pet store for a period of time. If the test results show that you are infected, you should not get pregnant and should receive treatment. If the TORCH test shows Toxoplasma gondii infection during the third month of pregnancy, the pregnancy should be terminated immediately because Toxoplasma gondii infection has more serious effects on the development of the fetus. Allergy: The culprit of allergy symptoms is the dander of pets, as the dander is covered with allergens secreted by animals, people may have allergic reactions when in contact with it. The main manifestations are allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic asthma and atopic eczema. In addition, many pets will be “dressed” in the spring and summer, a large number of shed hair is also covered with allergens. Women with allergies are particularly affected, such as mothers with asthma who suffer from asthma attacks during pregnancy, which can be harmful to their health. Long-term exposure to pets will mostly produce antibodies to allergens without allergic reactions. Before preparing for pregnancy, you can do allergy tests in the hospital, such as skin tests or antibody tests for cat and dog allergens, and decide according to the results whether you should reduce your contact with cats and dogs and avoid allergens. If you have a history of allergies, you should try not to contact pets, and wash your hands promptly after contact. 3. scratches, bites Once scratched or bitten by a pet, first disinfect the wound, wash it with soap and water, and then go to the hospital as soon as possible and get vaccinated if necessary. Although scratched and bitten by a healthy pet does not transmit disease, the wound may be invaded by bacteria, so you should also be careful about the sharp beak and claws of pets. Under normal circumstances it takes 3 months for the vaccine to be metabolized. However, the vaccine is a large molecule and has difficulty entering the fetal barrier system, so it will not cause fetal malformation. After being bitten, the mother-to-be should not skip the vaccination for fear of affecting her baby. In conclusion, it is not advisable to feed small animals such as cats, dogs and birds during the preparation and pregnancy period, and not to have close contact with them, especially the feces and secretions of pets, and to prevent being scratched and bitten by them. It is recommended to check TORCH at the hospital before preparing for pregnancy and avoid eating uncooked meat. Pets are cute, but for the sake of your baby’s health, put up with them for now.