Is it true that while pregnant, one should avoid contact with cats?

Cats are often believed to be potential carriers of a disease known as toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that is not harmful to adults but may cause major damage to the developing fetus. If the mother has never been exposed to toxoplasmosis before and encounters it for the first time during pregnancy, then her fetus is at risk for infection. If the mother, however, has been exposed to the parasite before her pregnancy then she is most likely immune and therefore the risk to her baby is negligible (immunity can be confirmed by blood tests). If you feel that, for any reason, that your baby may have been infected you should immediately see a Maternal-Fetal-Medicine specialist for confirmation.