What you need to know:
Rubella (German measles) is a mild childhood illness that can cause serious birth defects in an unborn baby. About 25 percent of babies whose mothers get rubella in the first trimester of pregnancy are born with one or more birth defects (congenital rubella syndrome) including eye defects, hearing loss, heart defects, mental retardation and, less frequently, movement disorders.

With the widespread use of the rubella vaccine, major outbreaks of rubella no longer occur in the United States. Still, small outbreaks do occur. As many as 20 percent of childbearing women are susceptible to rubella infection.


What you can do:
There is a simple blood test that can determine if you are immune to rubella. The March of Dimes recommends that all women be tested for immunity to rubella before becoming pregnant. If you are not immune, consider being vaccinated at least 28 days before trying to get pregnant.

Pregnant women are routinely tested for rubella immunity at an early prenatal visit. If a pregnant woman finds out she is not immune, she should not be vaccinated during pregnancy. All she can do is try to avoid exposure to anyone with the illness. She can also get vaccinated soon after delivery so she is immune during any future pregnancies.