"Rubella seroprevalence in pregnant women in Shariatti hospital, Tehran, Iran "

Abstract

Rubella a benign viral and modestly contagious illness in children, becomes a very dangerous story when acquired by pregnant women. The potential of its teratogenicity is obvious. Since prevention is preferred to treatment, diagnosis of rubella infection syndrome being difficult in early stages of pregnancy, the uncertainly about fetuses being really infected and therapeutic abortion because of fetal indication being prohibited by law in our country in a descriptive study, the rubella antibody titer (IgG-HI assay) was measured in 500 pregnant women referred to the prental clinic, shariatti Hospital. 76% of women were immune. The immune status improved with advancing age (P<0.01). More than half of these women had no information regarding their previous vaccination status. Only 25 percent reported of being vaccinated, of which, 40 percent was done at 1.5 years of age. No one had been vaccinate in postpartum period. With regard to the results , it is proposed to immunize all children in the second year of life, at preschool ently or high school, screen women in prepubertal, premarried, prenatal period, in the family planning centers and health care places and vaccinate them at appropriae time.