The Family Tribe

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
HSE: Understanding the different types of CMV infection in pregnancy

HSE: Reducing your risk of CMV during pregnancy

HSE: Vaccines before pregnancy, including rubella protection

HSE: Infectious disease screening during pregnancy

HPSC: Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy precautions

CDC: Congenital CMV and hearing follow-up

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.

Can you feel incredibly lucky to be a mother and still admit that it’s hard?
Afif travels to Galway for an honest, funny and moving conversation with Síle Seoige about motherhood at 38 and 42, miscarriage, and the anxiety of pregnancy after loss. Síle shares a moment in a swimming pool when grief caught her completely off guard, and explains why having another baby doesn’t erase what came before.
They discuss being heard and believed during labour, making space for partners’ grief, and the pressure to appear constantly grateful. Afif also opens up about how working in neonatal intensive care shaped his fears during his own family’s pregnancy.
Plus, returning home to Galway, finding the confidence to put family before work, and talking to children about Palestine, compassion and injustice.
An episode about the feelings parents don’t always give themselves permission to have.
This episode includes discussion of miscarriage and pregnancy after loss.

Content note: This episode discusses stillbirth, bereavement and mental health. Please listen when it feels right for you. Irish support details are included below.
“If I have a son, I’m a father.”
Dylan McKenna’s son Hunter was stillborn on 15 October 2025. In this episode, released on Hunter’s first birthday and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Dylan joins Afif and Anne to share his son’s story and what the past year has meant for him as a dad.
Dylan speaks about losing his own father during Caitlín’s pregnancy, the hope Hunter brought to their lives, and the devastating experience of leaving hospital without him. He explains why recognising bereaved parents as mothers and fathers matters, and how even well-meant words can leave them feeling unseen.
We explore fathers’ mental health, the exhaustion of appearing to cope at work, and the challenges of supporting each other when grief feels different for each partner. Dylan also shares his experience of counselling and his plans to connect with other bereaved fathers through Féileacáin.
As Dylan and Caitlín prepare to welcome Hunter’s little brother, he describes the fear, guilt and growing joy of pregnancy after loss, and their determination that both sons will always have a place in their family.
We also hear about his request for the Late Late Toy Show to light a Christmas tree blue and pink in memory of babies who have died, and why that small gesture could mean so much to families watching.
A conversation about love, fatherhood, saying our children’s names and continuing to show up for grieving parents.
Support in Ireland
If this conversation brings up difficult feelings, support is available:
Féileacáin: Call 085 249 6464 for support following stillbirth or neonatal death. Visit feileacain.ie.

Féileacáin Fathers: Connection and peer support for bereaved dads through football and social activities. Visit feileacainfathers.com or email feileacainfathers@gmail.com.

A Little Lifetime Foundation: Bereavement support and counselling, including a dedicated dads’ group. Visit alittlelifetime.ie or email info@alittlelifetime.ie.

Irish Hospice Foundation Bereavement Support Line: Freephone 1800 80 70 77, Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm, for support with grief or concern about someone who is grieving. More information.

Samaritans Ireland: Call 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, if you need someone to listen. samaritans.org.

Can having a baby later in life really help you live longer? And what do scientists actually mean when they say pregnancy changes your biological age?
This week on The Family Tribe, Afif and Anne investigate the research behind the headlines linking motherhood, ageing and longevity. They explore the remarkable demands pregnancy places on the body, changes in biological ageing markers during pregnancy and after birth, and why having your first baby later is a different question from having your last baby later.
Along the way, they discuss telomeres, epigenetic clocks, genetics, menopause and family size, asking whether later motherhood might reflect better underlying health rather than cause a longer life.
There is also Anne’s recollection of planning her family around turning 35, a discussion of age-related pregnancy risks, and some strong feelings about the phrase “geriatric pregnancy”.
With plenty of teasing and a healthy scepticism towards Instagram science, this is a conversation about understanding the evidence without turning it into another reproductive deadline. Your child’s birth certificate cannot predict your lifespan.

What happens when Anne’s lifelong best friend joins the podcast? Afif discovers just how much history he has missed, and a birth story somehow involves an offer to do the midwives’ hair. In this bonus episode, we welcome Martha Galvin, hairdresser, business owner, mother of three boys and honorary fifth Doherty sister. Martha shares the stories of her first son’s arrival and the later birth of her twins. She reflects on preparing for labour, discussing her preferences with her maternity team, choosing pain relief and understanding what might happen if plans needed to change. At the heart of her experience was feeling heard, supported and involved in the decisions being made. Martha also introduces her planned podcast, The Invisible Bag, exploring the unseen experiences and worries people carry through life. An affectionate, candid conversation about birth, friendship and the people who help us feel supported. Every birth is different, and Martha’s story reflects the choices and circumstances that were right for her. Put the kettle on, join us, and share this episode with someone who loves a good birth story.