Rubella, often called German measles, is generally a mild viral infection in children and adults, but it becomes significantly dangerous during pregnancy. When a pregnant person contracts rubella, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, the virus can cross the placenta and infect the developing fetus. This can lead to a condition known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), which causes severe birth defects or even miscarriage.
The risk to the unborn baby is highest if rubella infection occurs within the first 8 to 12 weeks of pregnancy. During this critical period, about 85% of fetuses infected with rubella will develop major abnormalities. These abnormalities include deafness, blindness (such as cataracts), brain damage leading to intellectual disabilities or behavioral problems, heart defects like congenital heart disease, and other organ malformations. The likelihood of these severe outcomes decreases somewhat after 12 weeks but remains significant up until around 16 weeks.
If infection happens later in pregnancy—around four months gestation—the risk drops further but still exists at about 10%. Even then, there may be single congenital defects such as hearing loss or eye problems. Beyond structural birth defects, babies born with CRS can also have developmental delays and growth issues.
Rubella infection during pregnancy not only threatens fetal development but also increases risks for miscarriage or stillbirth. In some cases where babies survive despite maternal rubella infection early on, they may remain infectious themselves for up to one year after birth.
For pregnant individuals who contract rubella symptoms typically include rash starting on the face that spreads downward along with mild fever and swollen glands; however many infections are so mild they go unnoticed until complications arise in pregnancy outcomes.
Because of these serious risks during pregnancy:
– Vaccination against rubella before becoming pregnant is strongly recommended since once infected you usually gain lifelong immunity.
– Pregnant people should avoid contact with anyone known to have rubella.
– If vaccination has been given recently (within three months), becoming pregnant is generally discouraged due to theoretical risks from live vaccine virus.
– Pregnant women suspected of having been exposed should seek immediate medical advice for testing and monitoring.
In summary: while rubella itself might be mild or even unnoticed by many people outside pregnancy contexts, it poses grave dangers when contracted by someone who is pregnant—especially very early on—due primarily to its ability to cause Congenital Rubella Syndrome marked by multiple serious birth defects affecting hearing, vision, heart function, brain development and more. Preventive vaccination programs have drastically reduced cases worldwide where implemented effectively because avoiding maternal infection protects both mother and child from these devastating consequences.
