Rubella infection in pregnancy

How does rubella affect babies? Would you rather get rubella as a child or during pregnancy? What is rubella non-immune, in pregnancy! Can vaginal infection during pregnancy harm the baby?

Infection with rubella virus causes the most severe damage when the mother is infected early in pregnancy, especially in the first weeks (first trimester).

Its major complication of maternal infection in early pregnancy is congenital rubella syndrome. If you contract rubella in your first or second trimester, you may pass it to your baby. Rubella during pregnancy can cause problems. Learn about rubella and pregnancy. However, infection with rubella during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the fetus, and it remains an important diagnosis.

In this article, we shall look the clinical features of rubella infection , its investigations, management and complications. However, the primary symptom of rubella virus infection is the appearance of a rash (exanthem) on the face which spreads to the trunk and limbs and usually fades after three days (that is why it is often referred to as three-day measles).

In rare cases, rubella can cause serious problems, including brain infections and bleeding problems. The most serious complication from rubella infection is the harm it can cause a pregnant woman’s developing baby. If an unvaccinated pregnant woman gets infected with rubella virus she can have a miscarriage, or her baby can die just after birth. A rubella infection can cause miscarriage, preterm birth, or stillbirth, as well as a variety of birth defects, but it depends on how far along you are when you contract the virus.

This virus causes a self-limited infection in most hosts, but can have potentially devastating effects on the developing fetus. Screening for antibodies to rubella is routinely performed by obstetricians. There is a high risk to develop congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) if the infection occurs in the first part of pregnancy , particularly in women without specific immunological protection. Chances of miscarriage get increased when a woman is infected by rubella. Some women with rubella experience arthritis in the fingers, wrists and knees, which generally lasts for about one month.

The risks of your baby developing congenital rubella syndrome are greatest in the first weeks of your pregnancy , and highest of all in the first weeks of pregnancy - when the baby has a high chance of catching rubella from you. The virus is transmitted by direct droplet contact from nasopharyngeal secretions, replicates in the lymph tissue of the upper respiratory tract, and spreads hematogenously. In some cases, rubella infection can also be responsible for miscarriage or stillbirth.

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is the name given to the range of conditions that are caused in a baby who is born with the virus. So rubella is a mild illness that can nevertheless have serious consequences if the infection is contracted during pregnancy. If you wish to continue your pregnancy , you may be given antibodies called hyperimmune globulin that can fight off the infection. What are the symptoms of rubella ?

It is caused by a virus. Depending on the gestational period when the mother contracts rubella , an infant born with CRS may be unaffected by the virus or it may have severe developmental defects. Four recent cases of rubella infection occurring in pregnancy highlight the potential risk to the developing foetus of both primary infection and reinfection. Read more about diagnosing rubella.

What does rubella titer in pregnancy mean? If you are planning a pregnancy , then this screening test will help you know if you have or lack immunity towards rubella. The risk of miscarriage or stillbirth also increases if a pregnant woman contracts rubella. Symptoms are often mil but if infection occurs during pregnancy , it can cause severe harm to the unborn chil including.

This is not the same as measles (rubeola), though the two illnesses do share some characteristics, including the red rash. Despite the potentially devastating effects of the congenital rubella syndrome, immunisation rates are not optimal and infections in pregnancy still occur. Four cases of rubella infection occurring in pregnancy are presented.