Features
The TORCH infections cause a syndrome characterized by microcephaly, sensorineural deafness, chorioretinitis, hepatosplenomegaly and thrombocytopenia.
Symptoms of a TORCH infection may include fever and poor feeding. The newborn is often small for gestational age. A petechial rash on the skin may be present, with small reddish or purplish spots due to bleeding from capillaries under the skin. An enlarged liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly) is common, as is jaundice. However, jaundice is less common in Hepatitis B because a newborn's immune system is not developed well enough to mount a response against liver cells, as would normally be the cause of jaundice in an older child or adult. Hearing impairment, eye problems, mental retardation, autism, and death can be caused by TORCH infections. The mother often has a mild infection with few or no symptoms.
It is possible for genetic conditions (Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome) to present in a similar manner.
Read more about this topic: TORCH Complex
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