Congenital rubella syndrome

What it is

Congenital rubella syndrome is one of the perinatal infections, next to congenital syphilis, congenital toxoplasmosis, congenital CMV and neonatal herpes simplex virus. It is the complication that makes rubella matter: in the table of common childhood infections with exanthems, the complication listed against rubella is congenital rubella, and rubella is marked as teratogenic.

Causes and risk

Rubella itself is mild in the child who has it. Its prodrome is mild constitutional symptoms, its enanthem is Forscheimer spots, and its exanthem is similar to that of measles, with posterior cervical and auricular nodes. The high-yield pediatric decks put the same illness as sore throat, joint pain and fever, then a pinpoint rash on the face that spreads down, with rose spots on the palate. The risk is not to that child but to the fetus.

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a viral infection caused by the togavirus, and following the introduction of the MMR vaccine it is now rare. The incubation period is 14-21 days, and individuals are infectious from 7 days before symptoms appear to 4 days after the onset of the rash. One note on naming the organism: the prose page calls it a togavirus, while the two high-yield pediatric decks print rubella under paramyxovirus, in the row beside measles and mumps.