Rubella......

When i saw my Dr the other day she said one of my blood tests came back that i had a low immunity to rubella.

Has anyone else had this and what does it really mean for me ?
What happens if i catch it and is it just rubella or do i have to watch for anything else.

I didn't ask the other day as i was in shock from what she was saying about my ultrasound and only remembered last night.

Hi Michelle,

I would assume you still have some immunity, just not much. I would make an appointment to discuss what the implications are with your doc or midwife and just take extra care to avoid anyone with measels etc until you can talk to her. Or maybe ring that new nursing hotline (I think it's 1800 60 60 24?) and ask them? Try not to worry about it too much. Hope that helps.

MG

Michelle,

If you contract rubella whilst pregnant there is a chance that it will affect the baby. The best thing you can do is avoid large crowds with lots of children! You should speak to your doctor further about the implications.

I found this information on another Aussie website. Hope it helps:

Rubella infection during early pregnancy

If a pregnant woman is not immune to the rubella virus and becomes infected in the first half of her pregnancy (before 20 weeks), the virus is capable of causing abnormalities in her baby. For women who become infected in the first 8 to 10 weeks of their pregnancy (measured from the first day of the last menstrual period) their baby has about a 90% chance of developing abnormalities. If a woman becomes infected between 10 and 16 weeks of the pregnancy, the risk to her baby decreases to about 10 to 20%. Effects on the baby from 16 to 20 weeks of the pregnancy are very rare and rubella infections experienced after 20 weeks should not affect the baby.

If the woman has had immunity to rubella in the past, but her immunity has diminished over time, and she then experiences a rubella infection during early pregnancy, the chances of her baby being affected are very small, no matter what stage of the pregnancy she is at.

NOTE: Be aware that there is a big difference between a pregnant woman experiencing the standard measles infection and the rubella virus (or German measles). While the standard measles infection usually makes the person feel more unwell, and the signs can last longer (when compared to the rubella virus), the effects of the standard measles infection during pregnancy are the possibility of miscarriage, or premature labour. Standard measles does not cause abnormalities in unborn babies, unlike the rubella virus, which can cause abnormalities of the baby (but not necessarily lead to miscarriage or premature birth). The type of measles you have can only be determined by a blood test.

An unborn baby of less than 8 weeks gestation can experience a combination of multiple abnormalities if exposed to the rubella virus. The effects normally relate to the developmental stage the baby is at during the time of the infection and can include:

Being mentally handicapped.
Being deaf.
Being blind, or severely vision impaired.
Experiencing heart abnormalities.
Having inflammation of the brain, liver, lungs and bone marrow.

Infections after 8 to 10 weeks may not be as severe, or the effects may occur on their own (for example, the baby may be deaf, but otherwise unaffected).

If you have experienced a rubella infection during early pregnancy, you will need to discuss this with your caregiver. Some parents will go to a genetic counsellor to help them make decisions about whether they wish to continue the pregnancy, or to prepare them for what they can expect if their baby is possibly affected. By the time the pregnancy has progressed to about 18 to 19 weeks, an ultrasound can be performed, which may detect some heart abnormalities. However, any other health problems associated with the rubella virus may not be evident until after the baby is born, with the extent of effects such as deafness or blindness usually not fully known until the child is older.

Love
Goldilocks
-xxxooo-

Well, you're 7 weeks, so you're heading toward the point where it sounds like rubella becomes less of a threat soon, so that's good :)
Yeah, call your midwife/dr and ask them what they recommend for you to keep your baby safe - if you need to partially hibernate for a few weeks, well, so be it (sure is the weather for hibernating!)
Because so many people are immunised against rubella these days, it's pretty rare, but call your healthcare provider and see what they think you should do - it will ease your mind to have a plan of action I reckon :)
All the best!

I don't get to see my midwife until 20th July but i am booked in to see my GP next Thusrday to talk about my scan and i will ask her more about it then when my mind is a lot clearer.

Thank you everyone for your help.

MG yes i have some immuity but not much. So i could still be okay if i am around anyone that has it.

Dont want to alarm you but be very careful Michelle, I read in the local paper yesterday that there is has been several cases of rubella in Perth. I wouldnt worry too much as youve been vaxed and everything but I am keeping an eye out too.

i just got my blood results back and my rubella was 54? what does that mean?

Not able to help you on that one Danni maybe talk to your Dr and see what they might need to do.

My sister had her second pregnancy totally not protected and she had a 2 year old at kindy. The trick is not to panic or worry. It's unlikely, but talk to your doc. You can't have the immunisation now, but there maybe other things you can do. xoxo

Michelle - At my 22 week appointment I was told I had no immunity at all to Rubella, I was horrified that my previous Dr neglected to tell me and I only found out because I swapped Dr`s/Hospitals.

As you know I was working with children up until about 18 weeks into my pregnancy, unbeknown to me I was putting my baby at risk.

You`ll need a rubella injection after you have bubs and try and keep away from crowds of children.

Even though I got rubellas as a baby and had my rubella injections I obviously still can`t hold onto my immunity against it.

Take Care

Dee

I also have a low immunity to rubella, which is a bit of a concern to me as I am a primary school teacher, I was just basically told to be extra vigalent and if there was any sign of an out break I was to stay well away from school etc. I had a bit of a freak out overthe Jan school holidays because I was working Vac Care for the YMCA and I got a phone call from one of the mum saying her son had measles, I freaked out but my GP told me that because I had little contact with the boy I should be fine, I just needed to stay away from the centre for at least 2 weeks, and it was only measles not German Measles so not so bad.

My mum was a school teacher and also had no immunity at all to Rubella, she had to get an injection in her bum as there was an outbreak at her school... and I turned out fine... so if there is an outbreak and you need to get a shot, try not to worry too much... as it does not necessarily mean your baby will be affected in any way...

I had the same at my 8 week blood test. It said that < 10 is not immune, 10-40 requires a booster and > 40 is immune. I was 20. My sister was the same. It just means the Rubella shot we were given at school wasnt that strong. It doesnt mean theres anything wrong with you at all. Just means that after bubs is born you'll need to have a booster (you cant have it while youre pregnant). And in the mean time if you know anyone with the Rubella/Measles, just stay away from them.. but its really nothing to be too concerned over, none of my doctors or midwives said its anything to worry about.. youll be right ;)

I had low immunity to rubella with DD pg, after I gave birth I had the vacination again then had a test again after 3 months. I was still low immunity, so apparently it is quite normal for me....But this bubs is OK.