Complications

Rubella is a mild infection. Once you've had the disease, you're usually permanently immune. Some women who have had rubella experience arthritis in the fingers, wrists and knees, which generally lasts for about one month. In rare cases, rubella can cause an ear infection or inflammation of the brain.

However, if you're pregnant when you contract rubella, the consequences for your unborn child may be severe, and in some cases, fatal. Up to 80% of infants born to mothers who had rubella during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy develop congenital rubella syndrome. This syndrome can cause one or more problems, including:

• Growth delays
• Cataracts
• Deafness
• Congenital heart defects
• Defects in other organs
• Intellectual disabilities

The highest risk to the fetus is during the first trimester, but exposure later in pregnancy also is dangerous.