Rubella in pregnancy-what consequences can it have for the baby?

Rubella in pregnancy-  symptoms

Symptoms of rubella include a rash, severely enlarged lymph nodes, fever and a runny nose, cough or redness of the throat. Sometimes there are also headaches, joint pain, muscle pain and conjunctivitis. The rash usually first appears on the face and then spreads throughout the body. To confirm whether these are definitely rubella symptoms, it is recommended to perform a serological test, which will detect the presence of IgM antibodies just a few days after the first symptoms of the disease.

Rubella in pregnancy- testing and interpretation of results

At the first visit during pregnancy, every woman is ordered to test for the presence and level of IgG and IgM class antibodies  against rubella. The presence of antibodies in the IgG class indicates contact with the virus, i.e. the woman has been vaccinated or has previously contracted rubella. This means it is immune to possible subsequent infection. Positive IgM antibodies appear during ongoing illness and for about a month after infection. It can also be positive for the period recently after vaccination.

In a situation where the test does not show both IgG and IgM antibodies, the mother-to-be should be especially careful when dealing with preschool children to avoid rubella infection.

What are the risks of rubella in pregnancy?

Most complications occur with rubella virus infection to about 12. One week of pregnancy. This infection can lead to miscarriage or intrauterine death of the fetus. In addition, there is a very high risk of birth defects in the child. Prominent among them are hearing defects, among others. deafness, eye defects (such as cataracts) or heart defects. These are defined as Gregg’s triad, the most characteristic symptoms of congenital rubella. In addition, children experience impaired mental development and speech development problems. Bone defromation and hepato- and splenomegaly (enlargement of the liver and spleen) may also occur. Babies are also born with low birth weight, as rubella virus can lead to fetal growth restriction. Symptoms of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) can also appear only a few years after birth, and include, for example, diabetes, growth hormone deficiency or behavioral disorders. It is believed that if rubella virus infection occurred in the first 11 weeks of pregnancy, up to 90% of babies will have birth defects. With the following weeks of pregnancy, this risk decreases significantly.

Rubella in pregnancy- vaccination

The best way to prevent congenital rubella syndrome is prevention in the form of vaccination as recommended. Rubella vaccination is now mandatory in Poland. It is a combination vaccine with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Most often, the first dose is received at 13.-15. Month of life, and the second – at 6. year of age. Due to the fact that it is a live vaccine, it is not recommended during pregnancy. Therefore, it is best to get vaccinated at least one month before the planned pregnancy. If you don’t know whether you were vaccinated in childhood or have survived rubella, you can check the level of antibodies, which will show that you have acquired immunity and do not need to be vaccinated before pregnancy.

Having contracted rubella during pregnancy is not a contraindication to cord blood donation, but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.