SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE FOR THE STUDY OF CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

Abstract

1. The data on 199 cases of maternal rubella have been presented according to the method by which the maternal infection was diagnosed and according to the period of gestation in which it occurred. The difficulties in timing the maternal infection in retrospect from a history have been pointed out. The incidence and types of defects that occurred in the 199 children have been discussed. 2. Evidence is presented to indicate that sharp peaks of prevalance of rubella occur simultaneously in many parts of the United States in the spring of the year. 3. Replies were received on 14 children with the so-called rubella syndrome whose mothers were considered to have had no infection during pregnancy, indicating either that the mothers had rubella but did not know it or that the rubella syndrome has more than one etiology. 4. The difficulties involved in planning an investigation which will give more accurate information concerning the incidence of congenital defects subsequent to maternal rubella have been discussed. 5. Evidence obtained from a survey of Kansas physicians is in agreement with previously reported data and indicates that perhaps 5% of congenital defects are associated with maternal rubella. 6. A total of 26 cases of maternal measles, mumps, chicken pox, infectious mononucleosis and poliomyelitis are reported in the present study. Seventy-seven cases of the above infections that occurred in the first four months of pregnancy have been collected from the literature, including those from the present study. The number is to small to draw any definite conclusions concerning any specific disease. The high incidence of defects following maternal infectious mononucleosis deserves especial attention.