Past rubella outbreak, haunts children

Written by Cherelle Jackson
Thursday, 08 May 2008
Australian Audiologist Dr. Greg Upfold The outbreak of rubella in Samoa more than ten years ago haunts the lives of children who were born at the time. An Audiologist from Australia after testing childrens hearing in Samoa says rubella is the cause of hearing loss for most 10 year olds he tested. “I have noticed in Samoa that some children have profound hearing loss because their mothers developed rubella in the first tri-mester of their pregnancy,” Dr. Greg Upfold. Rubella commonly known as German measles is an infection caused by the rubella virus, which is usually transmitted by droplets from the nose or throat that others breathe in. It can also pass through a pregnant woman's bloodstream to infect her unborn child. According to Dr. Upfold as this is a generally mild disease in children, the primary medical danger of rubella is the infection of pregnant women, which may cause congenital rubella syndrome in developing babies. When rubella occurs in a pregnant woman, it may cause congenital rubella syndrome, with potentially devastating consequences for the developing fetus. Children who are infected with rubella before birth are at risk for growth retardation; mental retardation; malformations of the heart and eyes; deafness; and liver, spleen, and bone marrow problems. Dr. Upfold said the hearing loss in children aged 10 is due to the outbreak of rubella in Samoa in 1997. He said symptoms of rubella are usually treated with paracetamol until the disease has run its course. Fewer cases of rubella have occurred internationally since a vaccine became available in 1969. In most Western countries, the vast majority of people are vaccinated against rubella as children at 12 to 15 months of age. A second dose is required before age 11. The vaccine gives lifelong protection against rubella but unfortunately for the ten year olds with profound hearing loss, the mothers did not seek medical advice at the time of pregnancy. Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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