Karolinska Institute links TORCH infections during pregnancy to increased autism risk in children

The Karolinska Institute (KI) press office clarified that TORCH infections include herpes virus, toxoplasma, cytomegalovirus, rubella, and a number of other pathogens that in rare cases can cross the placenta. KI researcher Rene Gardner said that such infections are “very rarely transmitted from mother to child” and account for only a small share of autism and developmental delay cases.

To assess how often these outcomes occur, Swedish doctors analyzed healthcare data collected by the country’s relevant authorities in 1987–2021 while monitoring newborns and young children. During this period, about 3.66 million children were born in Sweden, and roughly one thousand of them contracted a TORCH infection before birth.

The analysis confirmed the already known link between TORCH infections and intellectual developmental delays and pointed to their association with autism. On average, cognitive impairments were identified in these children seven times more often than in their peers, and autism three times more often.

In addition, TORCH infections increased the likelihood of autism and developmental delays being identified together by more than six times, especially in the most severe forms of intellectual disability. The researchers said this underscores the need for more active efforts to combat such infections, including by expanding vaccination against rubella and other pathogens capable of crossing the placenta.

Sources

• TASS