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. 2025 Mar;59(1):15-21.
doi: 10.4314/gmj.v59i1.3.

Perinatal outcome of pregnant mothers with active rubella infection in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Beatrice O Owolabi  1 , Kikelolmo T Adesina  1 , Omotayo O Adesiyun  2 , Abayomi Fadeyi  3 , Adebunmi O Olarinoye  1 , Sherifat T Suleiman  3 , James O Owolabi  4 , Dele O Amadu  3
Affiliations

Perinatal outcome of pregnant mothers with active rubella infection in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Beatrice O Owolabi et al. Ghana Med J. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of the rubella virus among pregnant women and the perinatal outcome of neonates of mothers with active rubella virus.

Design: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

Setting: The study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of a teaching hospital in Nigeria.

Participants: Pregnant women at the gestational age of 18-20 weeks.

Intervention: Screening pregnant mothers for immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM) for the rubella virus. Neonates of pregnant mothers with active rubella infection (IgM positive) were screened at birth for rubella IgM to assess for congenital rubella infections and congenital rubella syndrome.

Main outcome measure: Prevalence of rubella immunoglobulin G and active rubella infection IgM, congenital rubella infection, and congenital rubella syndrome.

Results: Of the 327 participants, 68.8% were rubella IgG seropositive, while 7.6% were Rubella IgM seropositive. Fifty-six (56) per cent of neonates of women with active rubella infection were Rubella IgM seropositive at birth, and 14.3% of the neonates of Rubella IgM seropositive pregnant women with active rubella infection had occipitofrontal circumference of less than 10th percentile for gestational age.

Conclusion: Rubella virus is present in our environment with the risk of pregnant mother and neonate of being infected.

Funding: None declared.

Keywords: Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin M; congenital infections; pregnant mothers; rubella virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared

References

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