WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Pennsylvania Department of Health has issued a warning to doctors about congenital measles, a rare condition in which a baby gets measles around the time of birth.
According to the state, 66 pregnant women in Pennsylvania have contracted measles this year, and at least six babies have been born with the infection. Of the six measles-related deaths reported in the state, at least two involved infants. However, it is not known whether these babies had congenital measles.
Notably, there is no national database in the United States that tracks congenital measles, mainly because the condition has been extremely rare in the country for decades.
According to Dr. Adam J. Ratner, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases, most available information comes from individual cases and small groups of patients. As a result, researchers cannot accurately estimate how many pregnant women with measles will give birth to babies with the infection.
To reduce the risk, the Pennsylvania Department of Health advises women to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine before becoming pregnant. However, the vaccine is not recommended during pregnancy because it contains a weakened form of the live virus.
If an unvaccinated pregnant woman is exposed to measles, she may receive immunoglobulin treatment to help protect against the infection. This treatment should be given within six days of exposure. Women who have received both recommended doses of the MMR vaccine are generally well protected against measles.
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