Is rubella common in pregnancy?
If you get rubella in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, your baby has an 8 to 9 in 10 chance (85 percent) of getting infected. This is a very high chance. If you get rubella at 13 to 16 weeks of pregnancy, your baby has a 1 in 2 chance (50 percent) of being infected.
What happens if rubella is positive?
Positive: A positive rubella IgG test result is good—it means that you are immune to rubella and cannot get the infection. This is the most common rubella test done.
What can result if a pregnant woman contracts rubella?
2 Risks associated with rubella infection in pregnancy. Maternal rubella infection can result in spontaneous miscarriage, fetal infection, stillbirth, or fetal growth restriction (Reef et al 2000).
What if rubella IgM is positive in pregnancy?
Tests for rubella IgM are not indicated unless there is a history of rash in a pregnant woman or contact with a rubella-like rash. Unnecessary tests for rubella IgM may lead to problems in interpretation, because the positive predictive value of rubella IgM results has declined in countries where rubella seldom occurs.
Can a baby be born with rubella?
When a baby is born with rubella, the infection is called congenital rubella. In congenital rubella, a woman infected during the first 16 weeks (particularly the first 8 to 10 weeks) of pregnancy passes the virus to the fetus through the placenta (the organ that provides nourishment to the fetus).
How do you prevent rubella?
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against rubella. Rubella is a routine vaccination that children in the United States receive for the first time at 12-15 months of age. It is a combination vaccine that also protects against measles and mumps (MMR vaccine).
What causes rubella positive in pregnancy?
Rubella is caused by a virus that’s passed from person to person. It can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread by direct contact with infected mucus from the nose and throat. It can also be passed on from pregnant women to their unborn children through the bloodstream.
Why is rubella important in pregnancy?
While for most people, rubella is usually mild, it is very dangerous for the unborn child of a pregnant woman. If a pregnant woman catches rubella, it can cause a miscarriage, stillbirth or serious birth defects. In rare cases, rubella can cause arthritis, other forms of joint pain or other rare complications.
How is rubella caused?
How does rubella spread pregnancy?
Rubella spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Also, if a woman is infected with rubella while she is pregnant, she can pass it to her developing baby and cause serious harm. See Pregnancy and Rubella page to learn more.