What Are the Effects of Rubella during Pregnancy?
When a woman contracts rubella during pregnancy, most of the time the baby is born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The severity of CRS depends on what stage of pregnancy the woman is in when she catches the disease. Birth defects associated with CRS may include, deafness, heart problems, mental retardation, neurological abnormalities or vision defects; deafness is the most common CRS-related birth defect. Prematurity and other potential life-threatening conditions are also common in CRS. To prevent rubella during pregnancy, women of childbearing age should check their immunity statuses before getting pregnant. Catching rubella during the first five months of pregnancy is extremely dangerous for the unborn baby. In approximately 80% of cases in which the woman contracts rubella during pregnancy, the fetus will become sick. The earlier that the unborn baby is exposed to rubella, the more severely she is likely to be affected.
