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Rubella, also called German measles, is an infection that causes mild flu-like symptoms and a rash on the skin. Only about half of people infected with rubella have these symptoms. Others have no symptoms and may not even know they're infected.

Rubella is only harmful to an unborn baby in the womb. If you get infected during pregnancy, rubella can cause serious problems for your baby.

Rubella has been eliminated in the United States because of routine vaccination of children. Vaccination protects a person against rubella for life. Only five cases of rubella were reported in this country between 2001 and 2004. But women who were never vaccinated as children can get infected.

Rubella is common in many other countries. Travelers can bring it into the United States, or you can get it when travelling outside the country.

It's important to get vaccinated for rubella. Talk to your health care provider to make sure you're protected against it.

What are signs and symptoms of rubella?

About half of people with rubella have signs and symptoms, and half don't. Rubella is usually mild with flu-like symptoms followed by a rash. The rash often lasts about 3 days. Flu-like symptoms include:

What causes rubella?

Rubella is caused by a virus (a tiny organism that can make you sick). It's very contagious and is spread through the air from an infected person's cough or sneeze.

What problems can rubella cause during pregnancy?

Rubella can be a serious threat to your pregnancy, especially during the first and second trimesters. Having rubella during pregnancy increases the risk of:

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) - This is a condition that happens when a mother passes rubella to her baby during pregnancy. It may cause a baby to be born with one or more birth defects, including heart problems, microcephaly, vision problems, hearing problems, intellectual disability, bone problems, growth problems, and liver and spleen damage.

Miscarriage - This is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Stillbirth - This is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Premature birth - This is birth that happens too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Can you pass rubella to your baby during pregnancy?

Yes. The best way to protect your baby is to make sure you're immune to rubella. Immune means being protected from an infection. If you're immune to an infection, it means you can't get the infection.

Most likely you're immune to rubella because you were vaccinated as a child or you had the illness during childhood. A blood test can tell whether or not you're immune to rubella. If you're thinking about getting pregnant and aren't sure if you're immune, talk to your health care provider about getting a blood test.

If you're not immune to rubella, here's what you can do to help protect your baby:

Before pregnancy. Get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Wait 1 month before trying to get pregnant after getting the shot.

During pregnancy. You can be tested at a prenatal visit to make sure you're immune to rubella. If you're not immune, the MMR vaccine isn't recommended during pregnancy. But there are things you can do to help prevent getting infected with rubella:

Stay away from anyone who has the infection.

Tell your health care provider right away if you've been in contact with someone who has rubella.

After pregnancy. Get the MMR vaccination after you give birth. Being protected from the infection means you can't pass it to your baby before she gets her own MMR vaccination at about 12 months. It also prevents you from passing rubella to your baby during a future pregnancy.

What are the chances of passing rubella to your baby during pregnancy?

You're more likely to pass rubella to your baby the earlier you become infected during pregnancy. For example:

If you get rubella in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, your baby has about an 8 to 9 in 10 chance (85 percent) of getting infected.

If you get rubella at 13 to 16 weeks of pregnancy, your baby has about a 1 in 2 chance (50 percent) of being infected.

If you get rubella at the end or your second trimester or later, your baby has about a 1 in 4 chance (25 percent) of getting infected.

If you have rubella during pregnancy, your baby's provider carefully monitors your baby after birth to catch any problems early.

See also: Rubella and your baby, Vaccinations and pregnancy
Last reviewed: March, 2012

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Rubella, also called German measles, is an infection that causes mild flu-like symptoms and a rash on the skin. Only about half of people infected with rubella have these symptoms. Others have no symptoms and may not even know they're infected. Rubella is only harmful to an unborn baby in the womb.

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a tiny organism that can make you sic, spread through air form an infected persons cough or sneeze

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What problems can rubella cause during pregnancy?

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What problems can rubella cause during pregnancy?

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it can cause CRS including heart problems, vision problems, speaking problems, etc.

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staying with on uninfected partner
getting vaccinated
not taking drugs or drinking excessive alcohol

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it can cause serious problems for you and your developing baby, such as premature baby, low birth weight,birth defects, etc.

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Each person's blood is one of four major types: A, B, AB, or O. Blood types are determined by the types of antigens on the blood cells. Antigens are proteins on the surface of blood cells that can cause a response from the immune system. The Rh factor is a type of protein on the surface of red blood cells. Most people who have the Rh factor are Rh-positive. Those who do not have the Rh factor are Rh-negative.

How do I know if I am Rh negative or Rh positive?

As part of your prenatal care, you will have blood tests to find out your blood type. If your blood lacks the Rh antigen, it is called Rh-negative. If it has the antigen, it is called Rh-positive. When the mother is Rh-negative and the father is Rh-positive, the fetus can inherit the Rh factor from the father. This makes the fetus Rh-positive too. Problems can arise when the fetus's blood has the Rh factor and the mother's blood does not.

What may happen if I am Rh-negative and pregnant?

If you are Rh-negative, you may develop antibodies to a Rh-positive baby. If a small amount of the baby's blood mixes with your blood, which often happens, your body may respond as if it were allergic to the baby. Your body may make antibodies to the Rh antigens in the baby's blood. This means you have become sensitized and your antibodies can cross the placenta and attack your baby's blood.

They break down the fetus's red blood cells and produce anemia (a condition that happens when the blood has a low number of red blood cells). This condition is called hemolytic disease or hemolytic anemia. It can become severe enough to cause serious illness, brain damage, or even death in the fetus or newborn. Sensitization can occur any time the fetus's blood mixes with the mother's blood.
It can occur if a Rh-negative woman has had:
How can problems be prevented?

A blood test can provide you with your blood type and Rh factor.

Antibody screen is another blood test that can show if a Rh-negative woman has developed antibodies to Rh-positive blood.

An injection of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg), a blood product that can prevent sensitization of a Rh-negative mother.

When is RhIg used?
RhIg is used during pregnancy and after delivery:

If a woman with Rh-negative blood has not been sensitized, her doctor may suggest she receive RhIg around the 28th week of pregnancy to prevent sensitization for the rest of pregnancy.

If the baby is born with Rh-positive blood, the mother should be given another dose of RhIg to prevent her from making antibodies to the Rh-positive cells she may have received from their baby before and during delivery.

The treatment of RhIg is only good for the pregnancy in which it is given. Each pregnancy and delivery of a Rh-positive child requires repeat doses of RhIg.

Rh-negative women should also receive treatment after any miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or induced abortion to prevent any chance of the woman developing antibodies that would attack a future Rh-positive baby.

What are some other reasons RhIg may be given?

If and when an amniocentesis is conducted, fetal Rh-positive red blood cells can mix with a mother's Rh-negative blood. This would cause her to produce antibodies, therefore making it necessary for RhIg to be given.
A Rh-negative mother may receive RhIg after a birth, even if she decides to have her fallopian tubes tied and cut to prevent future pregnancies for the following reasons:

1. The woman may decide later to try to have the sterilization reversed.

2. There is a slight chance the sterilization may fail to prevent pregnancy.

3. In case there is a need for a blood transfusion in the future, the treatment will prevent her from developing antibodies.

What happens if antibodies develop?

Once a woman develops antibodies, RhIg treatment does not help. A mother who is Rh sensitized will be checked during her pregnancy to see if the fetus is developing the condition. The baby may be delivered on time, followed by a blood transfusion for the baby that will replace the diseased blood cells with healthy blood. For more severe cases, the baby may be delivered early or given transfusions while in the mother's uterus.

How common is the Rh-negative factor?

More than 85% of people are Rh positive.

The Rh factor does not affect a person's general health.

Problems can occur during pregnancy when the baby's blood has the Rh factor and the mother's blood does not, however it can be prevented in most cases with the medication called immunoglobulin (RhIg).

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Babys First Year. Johnson, Robert V., M.D., et al, Ch. 11.

2. Danforths Obstetrics and Gynecology Ninth Ed. Scott, James R., et al, Ch. 18.

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Rh Factor - American Pregnancy Association

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Each person's blood is one of four major types: A, B, AB, or O. Blood types are determined by the types of antigens on the blood cells. Antigens are proteins on the surface of blood cells that can cause a response from the immune system.

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How would you know if you're Rh negative or positive?

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How would you know if you're Rh negative or positive?

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you will have blood test to found out blood type, if blood lacks the Rh antigen it is called Rh-negative, if it has antigen it is called Rh-positive

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What may happen if you're Rh- negative and pregnant?

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What may happen if you're Rh- negative and pregnant?

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you may develop antibodies to a Rh-positive baby

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virus that can cross the placenta and effect the baby during the first three months of pregnancy

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infections illnesses contacted primarily through sexual intercourse

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protein substance found on the surface of red blood cells

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Gestational hypertension, also referred to as pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is a condition characterized by high blood pressure during pregnancy. Gestational hypertension can lead to a serious condition called preeclampsia, also referred to as toxemia. Hypertension during pregnancy affects about 6-8% of pregnant women.

The different types of hypertension during pregnancy:

High blood pressure can present itself in a few different ways during pregnancy.
The following are the 3 common types of gestational hypertension:

Chronic Hypertension- Women who have high blood pressure (over 140/90) before pregnancy, early in pregnancy (before 20 weeks), or continue to have it after delivery.

Gestational Hypertension- High blood pressure that develops after week 20 in pregnancy and goes away after delivery.

Preeclampsia - Both chronic hypertension and gestational hypertension can lead to this severe condition after week 20 of pregnancy. Symptoms include high blood pressure and protein in the urine. This can lead to serious complications for both mom and baby if not treated quickly.

Who is at risk for Gestational Hypertension?
The following women may have an increased risk of developing gestational hypertension:

First-time moms

Women whose sisters and mothers had PIH

Women carrying multiples

Women younger than age 20 or older than age 40

Women who had high blood pressure or kidney disease prior to pregnancy

How do I know if I have Gestational Hypertension?

At each prenatal checkup, your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure and urine levels. Your doctor may also check your kidney and blood-clotting functions, order blood tests, perform an ultrasound scan to check your baby's growth, and use a Doppler scan to measure the efficiency of blood flow to the placenta.

How is Gestational Hypertension treated?

Treatment depends on how close you are to your due date. If you are close to your due date and the baby is developed enough, your health care provider may want to deliver your baby as soon as possible.

If you have mild hypertension and your baby is not fully developed, your doctor will probably recommend the following:

Rest, lying on your left side to take the weight of the baby off your major blood vessels.

Increase prenatal checkups.

Consume less salt.

Drink 8 glasses of water a day.

If you have severe hypertension, your doctor may try to treat you with blood pressure medication until you are far enough along to deliver safely.

How does Gestational Hypertension affect my baby?

Hypertension can prevent the placenta from getting enough blood. If the placenta doesn't get enough blood, your baby gets less oxygen and food. This can result in low birth weight. Most women still can deliver a healthy baby if hypertension is detected and treated early.

If your hypertension is severe, it can lead to preeclmapsia, which can have much more serious affects on mom and baby.

How can I prevent Gestational Hypertension:

Currently, there is no sure way to prevent hypertension. Some contributing factors to high blood pressure can be controlled, while others cannot. Follow your doctor's instruction about diet and exercise. Some ways you can help prevent gestational hypertension include the following:

Use salt as needed for taste.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

Increase the amount of protein you take in, and decrease the amount of fried foods and junk food you eat.

Get enough rest.

Exercise regularly.

Elevate your feet several times during the day.

Avoid drinking alcohol.

Avoid beverages containing caffeine.

Your doctor may suggest you take prescribed medicine and additional supplements.

Last Updated: 08/2015
Compiled using information from the following sources:
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com Medscape; Hypertension and Pregnancy, http://www.emedicine.medscape.com

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Gestational hypertension, also referred to as pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is a condition characterized by high blood pressure during pregnancy. Gestational hypertension can lead to a serious condition called preeclampsia, also referred to as toxemia. Hypertension during pregnancy affects about 6-8% of pregnant women.

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use less salt
drink 8 glasses of water a day
get enough rest

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hypertension can prevent the placenta from getting enough blood

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high blood pressure caused by pregnancy

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how can my diabetes affect me during pregnancy?

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how can my diabetes affect me during pregnancy?

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hormonal and other changes in your body during pregnancy affect your blood glucose levels

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NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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Learn about how to take care of your diabetes before, during, and after pregnancy, so you may prevent or treat health problems before and after delivery.

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high blood glucose levels during pregnancy can also increase that chance that your baby will be born too early, weigh too much, or have breathing problems or low blood glucose

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is a disorder caused by the body's inability to use sugar properly.