Temporal relations between maternal rubella and congenital defects.

The Time relations between maternal rubella infection in pregnancy and the presence and type of defects in the children were determined from the records of 422 children with confirmed congenital rubella, registered in the National Congenital Rubella Surveillance Programme. In the 106 children born after laboratory-proven maternal infection, no defects were recorded following infection after the 17th week of pregnancy, but in the remaining 316 children defects followed infection reported to be as late as 33 weeks. The striking difference underlines the importance of serological investigation of pregnant women who present with a rash or a history of contact with rubella. With proven infection later than the 16th week the risk of fetal damage seems to be very small. Of 148 children followed up to school age, 40 (27%) attended normal schools.