How can rubella affect an unborn baby?
Pregnant women who contract rubella are at risk for miscarriage or stillbirth, and their developing babies are at risk for severe birth defects with devastating, lifelong consequences. CRS can affect almost everything in the developing baby’s body. The most common birth defects from CRS can include: Deafness.
What happens if rubella IgG is positive during pregnancy?
A positive rubella IgG test result is good—it means that you are immune to rubella and cannot get the infection. This is the most common rubella test done. Negative: Less than 7 IU/mL IgG antibodies and less than 0.9 IgM antibodies.
What happens if a baby is born to a woman infected with rubella virus during the first 4 5 weeks of pregnancy?
If you’re pregnant and you develop rubella, especially during your first trimester, the virus can cause death or serious birth defects in the developing fetus. Rubella during pregnancy is the most common cause of congenital deafness. It’s best to be protected against rubella before pregnancy.
What is the most serious complication of rubella?
Up to 70% of adult women with rubella have pain and/or swelling of the joints, which is usually temporary. The most serious complication of rubella infection is congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which occurs when the rubella virus infects a developing fetus.
How can rubella be prevented from spreading?
Prevention. Rubella can be prevented by the rubella vaccine. Widespread immunization against rubella is critical to controlling the spread of the disease, thereby preventing birth defects caused by congenital rubella syndrome.
What are the complications of rubella?
Complications include deafness, cataracts, heart defects, brain disorders, mental retardation, bone alterations, liver and spleen damage. Furthermore, an infant infected with rubella during pregnancy can continue to shed the virus for about a year, sometimes longer.
What birth defects does rubella cause?
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is the name give to fetal defects caused by rubella virus infection. These include eye manifestations (cataracts, glaucoma, retinitis), congenital heart defects, hearing loss, microcephaly, bone disease, mental retardation, and diabetes.
Which complication of rubella infection is the most significant health problem?
Complications of Rubella The most serious of these could happen during pregnancy, when the virus can pass from mother to baby in the womb. The risk is highest during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Babies who are infected can have serious birth defects called congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
Which heart disease is most commonly associated with rubella infection?
The cardiac abnormality most frequently found in rubella syndrome is a combination of branch pulmonary artery stenosis and patent ductus arteriosus, though isolated branch pulmonary artery stenosis is twice as common as isolated patent ductus arteriosus [1].
Can rubella cause heart problems?
Babies born with congenital rubella syndrome may have some or all of the following symptoms: Heart problems. Eye problems, including cataracts and glaucoma.
What is a rubella syndrome?
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is an illness in infants that results from maternal infection with rubella virus during pregnancy. When rubella infection occurs during early pregnancy, serious consequences–such as miscarriages, stillbirths, and a constellation of severe birth defects in infants–can result.
What means rubella syndrome?
Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles) Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Most people who get rubella usually have a mild illness, with symptoms that can include a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
Does having rubella give lifelong immunity?
A single rubella infection usually offers lifelong immunity for most people. Although unlikely, it is still possible to contract rubella even if you have had a vaccination or a previous rubella infection.
Can German measles cause eye problems?
In rare cases, measles can lead to: serious eye disorders, such as an infection of the optic nerve, the nerve that transmits information from the eye to the brain (this is known as optic neuritis and can lead to vision loss) heart and nervous system problems.