Rubella in infants and newborns

Kids of any age can easily become infected. rubella. The infection spreads very quickly from a sick child to a healthy one. Especially adversely it can occur in infants, as well as from the first days of life.

The culprit for the occurrence of the disease in babies is the rubella virus. It is rather small and penetrates well through various biological barriers. Even during pregnancy A woman who has a rubella infection through the placenta can infect her unborn baby.

In this case arises congenital rubella form. It is quite rare. However, in newborn babies, the disease can be relatively hard. Kids from birth are already contagious. Rubella viruses can persist in their blood for a long time. The child remains infectious for several months.

Breastfed babies also often have rubella. This is often the fault of the mother.

Rubella viruses easily enter the bloodstream, rapidly spreading throughout the body. A few hours after the microbe enters the mother's body, they are already in the milk. Even 6-month-old babies who are already receiving complementary foods can easily become infected as well.

Infant babies do not fall ill immediately, but after the incubation period. During this time, viruses actively proliferate and begin to spread throughout the body, penetrating into the blood vessels and internal organs. Usually the incubation period for rubella in infants is 3 weeks. In newborn babies, this period may be reduced to 14 days.

During the incubation period, the babies are practically disturbed by nothing. It is quite difficult to suspect the disease at this stage. Some babies may have a fever. However, quite often it rises to a maximum of 37 degrees. Rarely there is a slight congestion when breathing. This feature is optional and does not always occur.

The behavior of the child practically does not suffer. Kids actively eat, play as usual with toys, smile. After the end of the incubation period, the period of skin manifestations begins, which with rubella appears quite clearly.

The classic manifestation of rubella infection is a rash. The first elements on the skin appear after about 2-3 weeks from the moment of infection.

A rash with rubella infection has the following specific signs:

• It first appears on the scalp, neck and upper half of the body. On the head, skin rashes are rather poorly visible if the baby already has hair growing. However, in newborn babies, the red specks are well distinguished.
• Spread from top to bottom. During the following days from the moment of the first appearance of red spots, the rash begins to appear on the whole body (in the downward direction). Very quickly spots appear on the back, abdomen, legs.
• No itching. All rubella spots do not itch. Toddlers do not comb spots, often even they do not feel. The child doesn’t really care about anything, but the condition itself can be painful.
• The greatest concentration of elements on the inner surface of the forearm and thigh, and on the buttocks. This feature is associated with the characteristics of the blood supply to these areas.In these places, elements can merge with each other, fancy patterns or patterns appear.
• All specks rise above the surface of the skin. When palpating the rubella rash can be distinguished from healthy skin. Elements protrude above the skin for a couple of millimeters.
• The absence of red spots on the palms and soles. This is one of the characteristic signs of the disease. The only areas where rubella elements do not appear (due to the nature of the structure of the child’s body) remain the inner surfaces of the palms and feet.
• The gradual disappearance of the rash without disfiguring scars or scars. In place of the former red spots, there remains only a slight peeling, which passes very quickly (without the use of special ointments or creams). Lastly, the spots disappear on the legs and the inner surface of the handles.

Usually the disease proceeds in the classic or typical form. In this case, a sick child necessarily develops a rash.

The most severely damaged nodes in the neck. When viewed from the neck visible large mounds. When palpating, you can determine lymph nodes that are enlarged to 1-2 cm. Nodules in the lower jaw, in the armpits, or in the groin may increase. With this atypical variant of the disease, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

For children who have rubella infection, for the implementation of therapy prescribed:

• Required bed rest. Babies in the first year of life and babies should sleep at least 10 hours a day. During this holiday, the children's body is quickly restored and gaining strength to further fight the infection.
• Medical nutrition. Breastfeeding is not canceled if the mother is vaccinated or has had a rubella infection in childhood. In other cases, it is possible to switch to adapted mixtures for the entire acute period of the disease. Babies who get lures, choose dishes with a more liquid consistency. An excellent choice would be shredded vegetable or fruit puree. As the main feeding, choose porridge or meat dishes. For babies older than 10 months, you can use dairy products.
• Drink. To quickly remove all bacterial toxins from the body, the baby should be given more water. You can drink any warm boiled water. For babies from 6 months you can add fruit juice. It is better to choose a drink from green apples or pears. For older children you can cook fruit or berry fruit juice, as well as fruit compote. A decoction of wild rose is prepared for children older than one year.
• Hygiene rules. To prevent infection of other family members, the child must have their own dishes, towels and personal hygiene products. Wash textiles at least 2-3 times a week. If there are several babies in the family, it is necessary to treat the toys with special disinfectants.

Rubella infection can be quite a dangerous disease for newborns and infants. Knowledge of the main clinical manifestations of the disease will help moms to suspect rubella in a child in time and seek medical help. Prompt treatment under the supervision of a physician will necessarily lead to complete recovery.

Often the treatment of newborns and babies in the first year of life is carried out in the hospital. If you are going to decide that the child should be transported to the hospital, the doctor will definitely examine the baby.

As a rule, newborns, debilitated and babies with chronic diseases are observed in the conditions of a children's hospital.

If a child has a disease proceeds in severe form he is also necessarily hospitalized.In a hospital setting, doctors can provide all the necessary treatment and conduct additional examinations and tests.

Dr. Komarovsky tells more about rubella in his program.

Symptoms and treatment are described in detail in the program "Live Healthy".