Rubella Consequences In Children

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Rubella consequences in children

The consequences of rubella in children can be very diverse. The nature of complications depends on the age of the child and the characteristics of the pathology.

Most serious consequences of rubella in children

If the disease proceeds without any manifestations, then it does not cause any consequences in a child who has had measles rubella. The most serious complication of rubella is encephalitis. A similar consequence of the disease occurs only among adolescents and in adult patients. Inflammation of the lining of the brain develops in one case in 10 thousand. Most often, the complication occurs very quickly and manifests itself before the rash appears. Very rarely, rashes throughout the patient's body appear before the onset of autoimmune encephalitis.

Encephalitis is accompanied by a sharp deterioration in general condition and confusion. Very soon, patients develop meningeal symptoms, in the most severe cases, convulsive syndrome occurs, which can lead to respiratory arrest and depression of the cardiovascular system. Lack of medical attention can cost a child's life.

Another serious complication of rubella can be damage to the central nervous system, which can be expressed in the form of paresis and paralysis. The likelihood of developing such diseases is approximately 25% of all diagnosed cases of the disease, and infant mortality in such a course of rubella reaches 30% or more.

Congenital rubella in children can also cause serious consequences that appear several years after the infectious process. Intrauterine damage to the fetus with a virus sometimes turns into a violation of brain activity, impaired mental development, mental disability, impaired speech and writing ability. In addition, over time, children may develop a persistent decrease in intelligence, occurring with impaired coordination of movement, which is associated with the inconsistent work of certain parts of the brain. Such long-term effects of rubella are not treatable.

Rubella vaccine

The only reliable way to prevent rubella outbreaks is vaccination against rubella. The first time it is placed at the age of 12 months of a child's life, re-vaccination is carried out at 6 and 12 years old. In adolescence, the drug is administered mainly to girls; rubella no longer poses any danger to adolescents.

Modern medicine suggests using a combined vaccine containing, in addition to rubella titers, weakened pathogens of smallpox, measles and mumps. Persistent immunity, according to the studies, provided that all the requirements of the vaccination schedule are met, is developed in 95% of cases.

Before planning to conceive a child, a woman is advised to have a blood test for rubella. In the absence of antibodies, your doctor may recommend booster vaccinations. It is important to remember that vaccinations are not given during pregnancy to prevent serious complications in the fetus. From the moment the drug is administered to a woman and before the conception of a child, at least 90 days must pass; breastfeeding is also not allowed on these days.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".