New study highlights maternal-fetal TORCH infection risk

The TORCH complex is a group of pathogens that can cause infections with mild or silent symptoms in an expecting mother, but in a developing fetus can lead to serious complications that include stillbirth, lifelong disability, or birth defects. Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, recently assessed long-term trends in TORCH infections in a region where reliable data have been lacking. TORCH includes pathogens that cause toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus and other infections.