Congenital rubella syndrome

Common card · No. 410262

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) occurs when a human fetus is infected with the rubella virus (German measles) via maternal-fetal transmission and develops birth defects, most commonly affecting the ophthalmologic, cardiac, auditory, and neurological systems. Rubella infection in pregnancy can result in various outcomes ranging in severity from normal, to CRS, to miscarriage and fetal death. The risk is highest if the infection occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Diagnosis of CRS is made through a series of clinical and laboratory findings, and management is based on the infant's clinical presentation. CRS can be prevented by means of rubella vaccination. Immunity to rubella, once acquired, is lifelong. Vaccination programs generally employ the MMR vaccine, with the first dose administered during the first year of life. Congenital rubella syndrome was first described in 1941 by Australian ophthalmologist Norman McAlister Gregg, who noted an unusual frequency of cataracts...

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