Afif and Anne examine a new Swedish study of almost 3.7 million people exploring associations between diagnosed congenital infections, autism and intellectual disability.

They explain what TORCH infections are, why comparing siblings strengthens the research, and why an association still cannot establish the cause of an individual child’s diagnosis. They also discuss a crucial limitation: clinically recognised infections do not represent every baby who acquires an infection before birth.

With CMV as the main focus, the conversation separates maternal illness from congenital infection and explores what families can take from the evidence, including practical prevention advice, antenatal screening and hearing and developmental follow-up.

Throughout, the message is clear: this research cannot tell a parent why their child is autistic, and it should not become another source of guilt.

Study discussed

Sjöqvist and colleagues. Congenital TORCH Infections and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. JAMA Pediatrics, published online 21 September 2026.

Read the paper and access its supplementary tables

Useful information

If you have a specific concern about an exposure during pregnancy or your child’s development, speak with your maternity team, GP or paediatric team.

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