Congenital Rubella Syndrome: Study of 22 Infants

Abstract

THE WIDESPREAD national rubella epidemic in the spring of 1964 resulted in the birth of a large number of abnormal infants. Recently described virologic techniques^1-3have shown that the well known clinical signs of the congenital rubella syndrome are a consequence of active infection.^4-6Isolation of the rubella virus has also documented the etiology of several new clinical signs. In Memphis, the rubella epidemic of 1964 was at a peak in April. Affected infants first appeared in our nurseries in October of that year. Infants included in this report were born between October 1964 and February 1965. Data are complete on 22 babies. Studies are in progress on a total of 50 infants. Materials and Methods The 22 infants herein reported were observed initially during the early neonatal period. All infants but two were studied for no less than four weeks and for a maximum of 15 weeks.