Symptoms:

Symptoms in the infant may include:

• Cloudy corneas or white appearance to pupil
• Deafness
• Developmental delay
• Excessive sleepiness
• Irritability
• Low birth weight
• Mental retardation
• Seizures
• Small head size
• Skin rash at birth

Signs and tests:

The baby's health care provider will run blood and urine tests to check for the virus.

Treatment:

There is no specific treatment for congenital rubella. Symptoms are treated as appropriate.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome for a child with congenital rubella depends on the severity of problems present. Heart defects can often be corrected. Damage to the nervous system is permanent.

Complications:

Complications may involve many parts of the body.

Eyes:

• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Retinitis

Heart:

• Patent ductus arteriosus
• Pulmonary artery stenosis
• Other heart defects

Central nervous system:

• Mental retardation
• Motor retardation
• Small head from failed brain development
• Encephalitis
• Meningitis

Other:

• Deafness
• Low blood platelet count
• Enlarged liver and spleen
• Abnormal muscle tone
• Bone disease

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have concerns about congenital rubella, if you are unsure of your vaccination status, or if you or your children need a rubella vaccine.

Prevention:

Vaccination prior to pregnancy can prevent congenital rubella. Pregnant women who are not immune to rubella should avoid contact with persons who have carry the virus.