Rubella and pregnant woman

If you’re planning on becoming pregnant, ask your physician to check your immunity to rubella (German measles) – it’s possible to be vaccinated against the disease prior to a pregnancy, but it isn’t safe to do so once you’re pregnant.

Rubella is a very serious disease during pregnancy and one of the first routine tests of your pregnancy will be to ascertain whether you’re immune or not.

If you contract Rubella in your first trimester your baby is at risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or a range of birth defects including brain damage, heart defects, deafness, and blindness. If you contract it after 16 weeks, the risk to your baby is dramatically lower. If you’ve been exposed to Rubella, see your caregiver straightaway so you can be tested for the disease. If your unborn baby has been affected your caregivers may be able to address the health problems but in severe cases, a termination may be advised.

Although Rubella is rare, your chances of exposure are increased due to poor uptake of the MMR vaccine. The symptoms are usually mild and include swollen glands, a slight fever and/or headache, aching joints and a rash of small, pink spots.

If you have any unanswered questions, use our answers page to gain wisdom from other moms or our resident experts for this and many more pregnancy issues.