Although rubella is not particularly serious for children or adults, or for the pregnant woman herself, it can seriously damage a baby's organs in the early stages of pregnancy.
Some of the common effects include impairments to the:
Ears: a child may have hearing loss in one or both ears due to damage to the inner ear, which links the ears to the brain.
Eyes: babies may be born with cataracts (cloudiness to the lens) in one or both eyes. Others may have rarer visual conditions or find that their sight gets worse as they get older.
Heart: rubella can affect the heart in many ways. Children may have heart problems from birth and require hospital treatment.
Brain: rubella can also affect a child's brain and nervous system. Difficulties can vary from mild to severe.
What long-term effects does rubella have?
Mothers' perspective
Jane and Gini both contracted rubella while pregnant.
Children with congenital rubella syndrome
Fortunately, the number of children whose mothers contracted rubella during pregnancy is low. But the effects are very serious.
