BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTORCH screenThe TORCH screen is a group of blood tests. These tests check for several different infections in a newborn. The full form of TORCH is toxoplasmosis, rubella cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, and HIV. However, it can also contain other newborn infections.ToxoplasmosisToxoplasmosis is an infection due to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rubella cytomegalovirusRubella, also known as the German measles, is an infection in which there is a rash on the skin. Congenital rubella is when a pregnant woman with rub...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Sometimes the test is spelled TORCHS, where the extra "S" stands for syphilis. How the Test is Performed The health care provider will clean a small area (usually the finger). They will stick it with a sharp needle or cutting instrument called a lancet. The blood may be collected in a small glass tube, on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. If there is any bleeding, cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site. How to Prepare for the Test For more information about how you can prepare your child, see infant test or procedure preparation.Infant test or procedure preparationBeing prepared before your infant has a medical test can help you know what to expect during the test. It will also help reduce your anxiety so that...Read Article Now Book Mark Article How the Test will Feel While the blood sample is being taken, your child will most likely feel a prick and a brief stinging sensation. Why the Test is Performed If a woman becomes infected with certain germs during her pregnancy, the baby may also become infected while still in the womb. The baby is more sensitive to harm from infection during the first 3 to 4 months of the pregnancy.This test is used to screen infants for TORCH infections. These infections may lead to the following problems in the baby:Birth defects Growth delay Growth delayDelayed growth is poor or abnormally slow height or weight gains in a child younger than age 5. This may just be normal, and the child may outgrow i...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Brain and nervous system problems Normal Results Normal values mean there is no sign of infection in the newborn.Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your test results. What Abnormal Results Mean If high levels of antibodies called immunoglobulins (IgM) against a certain germ are found in the infant, there may be an infection. Your provider may order more tests to confirm a diagnosis. Risks Blood draws carry a small risk of bleeding, bruising, and infection at the involved site. Considerations The TORCH screen is useful for determining whether there may be an infection. If the result is positive, more testing will be needed to confirm the diagnosis. The mother will also need to be checked.Open ReferencesReferencesHarrison GJ. Approach to infections in the fetus and newborn. In: Cherry JD, Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ, eds. Feigin and Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 66.Maldonado YA, Nizet V, Klein JO, Remington JS, Wilson CB. Current concepts of infections of the fetus and newborn infant. In: Wilson CB, Nizet V, Maldonado YA, Remington JS, Klein JO, eds. Remington and Klein's infectious Diseases of the Fetus and Newborn. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 1.Nerenz RD, Braga JA. Pregnancy and its disorders. In: Nader R, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham CAD, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 59.Schleiss MR, Marsh KJ. Viral infections of the fetus and newborn. In: Gleason CA, Juul SE, eds. Avery's Diseases of the Newborn. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 37.AllVideoImagesTog Tests for TORCH screen TORCH screenRelated Information Toxoplasmosis(Condition)Rubella(Condition)Herpes simplex - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 7/3/2022 Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. 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TORCH screenThe TORCH screen is a group of blood tests. These tests check for several different infections in a newborn. The full form of TORCH is toxoplasmosis, rubella cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, and HIV. However, it can also contain other newborn infections.ToxoplasmosisToxoplasmosis is an infection due to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Rubella cytomegalovirusRubella, also known as the German measles, is an infection in which there is a rash on the skin. Congenital rubella is when a pregnant woman with rub...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Sometimes the test is spelled TORCHS, where the extra "S" stands for syphilis. How the Test is Performed The health care provider will clean a small area (usually the finger). They will stick it with a sharp needle or cutting instrument called a lancet. The blood may be collected in a small glass tube, on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. If there is any bleeding, cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site. How to Prepare for the Test For more information about how you can prepare your child, see infant test or procedure preparation.Infant test or procedure preparationBeing prepared before your infant has a medical test can help you know what to expect during the test. It will also help reduce your anxiety so that...Read Article Now Book Mark Article How the Test will Feel While the blood sample is being taken, your child will most likely feel a prick and a brief stinging sensation. Why the Test is Performed If a woman becomes infected with certain germs during her pregnancy, the baby may also become infected while still in the womb. The baby is more sensitive to harm from infection during the first 3 to 4 months of the pregnancy.This test is used to screen infants for TORCH infections. These infections may lead to the following problems in the baby:Birth defects Growth delay Growth delayDelayed growth is poor or abnormally slow height or weight gains in a child younger than age 5. This may just be normal, and the child may outgrow i...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Brain and nervous system problems Normal Results Normal values mean there is no sign of infection in the newborn.Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your test results. What Abnormal Results Mean If high levels of antibodies called immunoglobulins (IgM) against a certain germ are found in the infant, there may be an infection. Your provider may order more tests to confirm a diagnosis. Risks Blood draws carry a small risk of bleeding, bruising, and infection at the involved site. Considerations The TORCH screen is useful for determining whether there may be an infection. If the result is positive, more testing will be needed to confirm the diagnosis. The mother will also need to be checked.Open ReferencesReferencesHarrison GJ. Approach to infections in the fetus and newborn. In: Cherry JD, Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ, eds. Feigin and Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 66.Maldonado YA, Nizet V, Klein JO, Remington JS, Wilson CB. Current concepts of infections of the fetus and newborn infant. In: Wilson CB, Nizet V, Maldonado YA, Remington JS, Klein JO, eds. Remington and Klein's infectious Diseases of the Fetus and Newborn. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 1.Nerenz RD, Braga JA. Pregnancy and its disorders. In: Nader R, Chiu RWK, Young I, Burnham CAD, Wittwer CT, eds. Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine. 7th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 59.Schleiss MR, Marsh KJ. Viral infections of the fetus and newborn. In: Gleason CA, Juul SE, eds. Avery's Diseases of the Newborn. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 37.