Definition:
TORCH or TORCHES infections are a group of infections that can lead to sever fatal anomalies or even fetal loss among pregnant women. Varicella virus antenatal infection is one of the infections in this syndrome. These infections are rarely bacterial and gain access to the fetal bloodstream via the placenta or the chorionic villi.
TORCH stands for Toxoplasmosis, Other agents (Varicella zoster virus and human parvovirus), Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex virus/HIV, and Syphilis.
Treatment:
Physicians may test the blood, urine, and spinal fluid of the newborn if physical examination shows signs of TORCH syndrome. Culture of the specific pathogens or increased levels of IgM against the pathogen can confirm the diagnosis.
Symptoms and Signs:
A pregnant woman usually contracts mild infection with few or no symptoms. Fever and poor feeding are the symptoms among children as well as a petechial rash on the skin, with small reddish or purplish spots due to bleeding from capillaries under the skin. Another common syndrome is an enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, hearing impairment, eye problems, mental retardation, autism, and death.
Causes:
Toxoplasmosis and syphilis can be effectively treated with antibiotics but many of the TORCH infections have no effective treatment. Some of the viral infections can be prevented by vaccinating the mother prior to pregnancy. Delivery by caesarian section is also performed to prevent the newborn from contact if the mother has active herpes simplex.
:
varicellavirusantenatalinfection
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