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News
Babies born with rare congenital infections face dramatically higher odds of autism and intellectual disability, a landmark Swedish study finds. Analyzing 3.7 million people, researchers found TORCH-infected children were ~3x more likely to develop autism and up to 30x more likely to have severe intellectual disability. Experts say the findings make a strong case for expanding CMV vaccination and newborn screening programs.
A major study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet — published in JAMA Pediatrics and covering 3.7 million people born between 1987 and 2021 — has found that congenital TORCH infections (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus) are strongly linked to autism and intellectual disability. Among the 975 individuals diagnosed with a congenital TORCH infection, the risk of autism was roughly tripled, and the risk of severe to profound intellectual disability was up to 30 times higher compared to the general population.
Crucially, the associations held up even after comparing affected children to their own unaffected siblings, suggesting the outcomes aren't simply explained by shared family genetics. CMV alone accounted for about half of all TORCH cases in the study. Researchers also found that even children without a formal autism or intellectual disability diagnosis scored lower academically on average — hinting at subtler, long-term cognitive effects.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Though TORCH infections are rare, their individual-level impact is severe — and some are preventable. Experts are calling for a national CMV vaccine, broader newborn CMV screening (currently only mandated in Minnesota and Connecticut), and sustained rubella vaccination programs to protect future generations.
