Congenital Rubella Syndrome: An Overview
For most people who develop
rubella, the illness is usually mild and fades after several days. However, for pregnant women who develop rubella, the consequences can be serious. This is because rubella is able to spread through the blood to the fetus, where it can cause a condition called congenital rubella syndrome. Congenital rubella syndrome occurs in at least 20 percent of women who develop rubella during the
first trimester of pregnancy and can result in serious birth defects.
Congenital Rubella Syndrome and Pregnancy
The greatest risk for congenital rubella syndrome is when a
rubella virus infection occurs during the first 3 to 6 weeks after conception. However, there are documented cases of congenital rubella syndrome happening throughout pregnancy.
Even if a woman who develops rubella has no
rubella symptoms, her baby can still develop serious congenital rubella syndrome symptoms. Therefore, it is important to determine the rubella immunity status for all women, either before conception or very early in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Besides congenital rubella syndrome, consequences of a rubella infection during pregnancy include abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths.
Impact of Congenital Rubella Syndrome
The impact of congenital rubella syndrome varies for each fetus. Problems that can occur because of congenital rubella syndrome include:
- Deafness
- Cataracts
- Heart defects (patent ductus arteriosus, interventricular septal defect, pulmonic stenosis)
- Mental retardation
- Liver and spleen damage
- Pneumonia.
Later complications of congenital rubella syndrome can include development of
diabetes mellitus and progressive subacute panencephalitis.
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