Congenital rubella syndrome in Malaysia

Of the five diseases generally recognised as causing congenital defects, viz., toxoplasmosis, rubella, cy tomegaloviral infection, herpes simplex and syphilis (TORCHES) studied in Malaysia, rubella was found to be the most important. A total of 574 children with features of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) were examined for rubella-specific IgM (in infants four months and below), and for rubella HAl antibodies (in children six months to four-years-old), and compared with 374 normal children of the same age groups. Whereas the prevalence rate of rubella in normal children was only 1.3%, in children with CRS (multiple defects) it was 87.3%; with congenital heart disease 71.0%; with congenital cataract 64.0%; with deafness 60.1%; with rash 30.8%; with hepatomegaly 17.1%; with mental retardation 4.1 %. Congenital rubella was not important as a cause of neonatal jaundice (0.9%)
and CNS defects (0%).