TORCH: a literature review and implications for practice.

Major issues related to TORCH (toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalo virus, and herpes virus) perinatal infection are of concern to maternity and neonatal nurses. General and congenital modes of transmission, associated congenital defects, incidence of infection, and relative fetal/neonatal effects of primary as compared to recurrent maternal infection are described. Associated nursing implications emphasizing prenatal prevention and early detection, intrapartal management, neonatal symptom detection, and nursery infection control as well as concerns about breastfeeding with maternal TORCH are discussed.