[The outcome of pregnancies complicated by rubella, 1990-1997].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the experience of management of pregnant women complicated with rubella and to evaluate the perinatal outcome.


METHODS
A total of 67 pregnant women with positive IgM test for rubella were studied in the period from January 1st, 1990 to October 31st, 1997. Sixty-six of these women were followed until the end of gestation, in 4 patients an elective abortion was performed and 1 patient had a molar pregnancy. The effects of rubella on gestation and on the product were evaluated in sixty-one of the patients. Anti-rubella IgM was determined at birth and positive infants were subjected to evaluation by echocardiogram, brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and ophthalmological study.


RESULTS
Mean age of the patients was 24.7 +/- 5.5 years; 28 patients were primigravidae. Pregnancies were normal showing no complications due to the rubella episode. In 35 cases (52.2%), the viral infection occurred during the first trimester of pregnancy, in 23 cases (34.5%) during the second and in 9 (13.3%) during the third. Seventy-one percent of infants born to mothers infected during the first trimester of pregnancy were also infected, and 51.6% developed congenital rubella syndrome. The most frequent manifestations of CRS were: prematurity, low birth weight and alterations of the BAEP.


CONCLUSIONS
In Mexico, rubella is still a cause of fetal damage, which shows the need for preventive strategies, such as universal vaccination, to avoid rubella infection during pregnancy.
Figueroa-Damián
R
R
Departamento de Infectología, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología (INPer), México.
Ortiz-Ibarra
F J
FJ
Arredondo-García
J L
JL
Ahued-Ahued
J R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012409:Rubella / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*