Can Exposure to Rubella During Pregnancy Cause a Miscarriage?
Can Exposure to Rubella During Pregnancy Cause a Miscarriage? For most people, rubella (also called German measles) is a mild infection that poses no serious health risks. Most people who get the virus have a mild, brief illness that resolves without negative long term effects. Pregnant women, however, are the exception.Answer: For women who are not immune, rubella infection during pregnancy poses a high risk of congenital birth defects and miscarriage or stillbirth. According to the March of Dimes, infection during the first trimester carries an 85% risk of birth defects. Infection from weeks 13 through 16 of pregnancy brings a 54% risk of defects, and infection at the end of the second trimester results in a 25% risk of birth defects. Infection in the third trimester is not likely to cause serious problems. The term for birth defects caused by rubella infection during pregnancy is
