The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued an alert Monday to doctors about an increase in measles infections in pregnant women, as well as a concerning rise in congenital measles — a disease that’s rarely, if ever, seen in the U.S.The department said that 66 pregnant women in Pennsylvania had been diagnosed with measles since the state’s outbreak began in April.
“Getting measles while pregnant increases the risk of miscarriage, early labor, and low birth weight,” a department spokesperson said in an email.It’s unclear how many women have miscarried or delivered babies with congenital measles.
The department said that state law prohibits it from releasing details of the outcomes of those pregnancies, and there is no national database that tracks cases.True numbers may also be obscured as the outbreak has largely been limited to Amish families who don’t always seek conventional medical assistance.As of Thursday, there have been 4,410 measles cases in the U.S.
this year.In Pennsylvania, there have been 1,286 cases as of Monday.Even before widespread measles vaccination, congenital measles was rare.
That’s because most women had already been infected as children.It’s only now emerging as a threat as measles outbreaks are increasing as vaccination rates fall.
Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics added a “frequently asked questions” page about congenital measles to its website in response to ongoing and increasing measles outbreaks.According to the AAP, congenital measles occurs in newborns whose mothers have been infected during the two weeks before birth and who test positive or develop measles symptoms within 10 days of delivery.Anecdotally, doctors have said that at least six babies were born in Pennsylvania with congenital measles.
Babies can have a range of symptoms, from a rash and fever to pneumonia, neurological problems and low blood platelets.At least two developed pneumonia and were admitted to an intensive care unit, ...