Analysis on TORCH infections is conducted to all pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy. With this analysis, we can identify the most dangerous infection to the fetus, and to take timely measures to prevent fetal complications.
Why do the analysis on the TORCH infections
TORCH infection - is an infection that often causes uterine infection with serious consequences for the fetus. Most of the TORCH infections are dangerous in primary infection during pregnancy, when her blood has no antibodies to causative agents of these infections.
Abbreviation TORCH (TORCH) is interpreted as follows: MOT - Toxoplasmosis, R - rubella, or German measles, C - cytomegalovirus infection, H - herpes simplex types 1 and 2. In recent years, some experts include in the TORCH infections chicken pox.
A blood test for TORCH- infection - toxoplasmosis than dangerous
Toxoplasmosis - an infection that is caused by protozoa. When an infected woman during pregnancy, the infection can pass from mother to fetus, but in subsequent pregnancies the fetus is not infected.
Intrauterine infection can cause spontaneous abortion, as well as damage to the brain of the fetus and the subsequent development of his neurological complications and complications in the organs of vision. It is also possible generalized failure of the fetus.
Of great importance to identify a laboratory diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects antibodies to the pathogen infection.
Decipher analysis on TORCH infections as follows: beginning at the primary infection (two weeks posleinfitsirovaniya) antibody titer increases or immunoglobulin M (IgM), then (3-4 weeks) - immunoglobulin G (IgG). Such pregnant women, regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms, shall be promptly treated to prevent infection of the fetus. Detection of blood pregnant only IgG is a sign of a chronic disease that is not treatable.
The dangerous rubella
Rubella - an acute viral infection that is when the infection in the first three months of pregnancy leads to the development of intrauterine infection of the fetus, thus causing various malformations (brain, eyes and ears, heart, bones and so on). When infected in the later stages of pregnancy, the virus infects the placenta blood vessels and causes placental insufficiency
Placental insufficiency - deviation from the norm
That also disrupts brain development of the child.
Antibodies to rubella virus
Rubella - it is better to be vaccinated
detected in blood using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Decipher analysis TORCH infection in this case as follows: IgM class antibodies to rubella virus during primary infection appear 1-3 days after the first symptoms. Their presence indicates a recent infection and a high risk of complications in the fetus. For the prevention of complications during pregnancy planning women without a history of rubella vaccinations.
IgG antibodies to rubella virus are starting to be produced in 3-4 weeks after infection and remain in the blood for life, providing protection against reinfection.
The dangerous cytomegalovirus infection
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection - caused by herpes virus type 5
Herpes type 5 - the cause of CMV infection
Which is widely distributed, so it can be found in pregnant women. The negative effects on the fetus CMV has only if it is in the active state, i.e. causing disease symptoms, even mild. But the most dangerous infection of primary CMV infection during pregnancy because a woman's body has not had time to develop antibodies to the infection.
If a woman is infected with CMV infection before pregnancy, her body has such antibodies, and the fetus may suffer only if the activation of CMV.
The risk of intrauterine infection in this case is insignificant. The basis of diagnosis of CMV infection and degree of hazard to the fetus is an immunological blood test (ELISA), which detects the presence of antibodies to CMV. The presence of antibodies to CMV IgM speaks about primary infection and high risk of complications. Identifying sufficient titer of IgG antibodies indicates the presence of a good immunity to CMV.
How dangerous herpes simplex
During pregnancy dangerous primary infection with herpes simplex virus
Herpes simplex - in fact, not so simple
2, or (rarely) one type which, however, even in this case happens infrequently. When the disease is the mother in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the virus can cause uterine infection, abortion or various malformations, mainly the central nervous system (eg, microcephaly). In the later stages of pregnancy herpes infection leads to stillbirth, and when infected just before birth or during labor from mother - to the development of general (generalized) or local (LAN) infection in children.
The antibodies to the herpes virus IgM class appear in the blood within 1-2 weeks after the initial infection and is a marker of primary infection, but sometimes they can come and at relapse of the long-standing infection. IgG antibodies persist throughout life, recurrent herpes usually occurs on the background of high levels of IgG.
Analysis on TORCH infections is conducted to all pregnant women planning pregnancy and to the extent possible, prevent serious complications of the fetus.
Galina Romanenko
