Congenital rubella syndrome at tertiary care hospital in North India: Results from a retrospective assessment.

Abstract

A retrospective survey of medical records of children discharged with a diagnosis of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) from our hospital between January 2005 and December 2015 was performed. There were 28 clinically diagnosed cases of CRS during this period. A total of 17 children (61%) out of 28; had laboratory evidence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) rubella positivity in their serum sample. There were 24 male and 4 female infants (M:F = 6:1; mean age, 2.8 ± 3.5 months). None of the mothers received rubella vaccination in the past. All the infants had low birth weight; 21 had microcephaly. Structural heart defects (21 of 28) was the most prominent manifestation in these infants; of these, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; 15/28) was the most common one. Other manifestations included cataract (18 of 28), hearing impairment (8 of 28), purpuric rash (6 of 28), developmental delay (8 of 28) and hepatosplenomegaly (26 of 28). Of the 18 children with cataract, 12 had bilateral and 6 had unilateral cataract. There is an urgent need to start effective CRS surveillance and preventive measures including appropriate vaccination against rubella.