Understanding the placenta might one day
lead to ways to prevent fetal damage from the so - called TORCH
infections: toxoplasmosis, rubella,
cytomegalovirus, herpes and HIV, he added.
The researchers sought to explore the link between maternal
infection and risk for autism, focusing on five pathogens known collectively as ToRCH agents — Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus,
cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2 — to which exposure during pregnancy can
lead to miscarriage and birth defects.