Patient's question:
I've been pregnant for over a month. When I went to the hospital for an ultrasound, the doctor recommended doing a pre-natal care check-up. I heard this check-up is supposed to be done before pregnancy, so is it still appropriate to do it now?Doctor's answer:
Hello: The four tests, also known as the TORCH test, involve blood tests to check for infections with cytomegalovirus, rubella virus, herpes simplex virus, and toxoplasmosis. These four tests target microorganisms, and human infection does not typically cause obvious symptoms, making them easily overlooked. If a pregnant woman becomes infected with cytomegalovirus or herpes simplex virus, it may lead to intellectual disability, hearing and vision impairments, and language disorders in the fetus.