Introduction
Rubella is caused by parvovirus B19 and is mainly transmitted by droplet infection in the form of sneezing or saliva. Once an infection with the pathogen has occurred, it can either go unnoticed by the affected person or lead to flu-like symptoms. The diagnosis is determined by the typical garland-shaped reddish skin rash, which develops after about one week. For pregnant women, an infection carries the risk of transmission to the child, which in principle can, but need not, lead to developmental disorders in the unborn child.
Symptoms of rubella in pregnancy
A pregnant woman will only notice an infection with rubella with certainty by means of the characteristic skin rash. The other symptoms of the disease, such as weakness and increased temperature, are too unspecific and make one think of influenza. However, it is important to know that exactly these unspecific disease symptoms are often the only indications of the infection.
After all, the rash does not always have to manifest itself. However, if a pregnant woman observes the rash, this is a clear indication of a disease. It is specific for Ringel rubella that the rash first spreads to the cheeks on the face.
In English it is often referred to as “slapped cheek” because it looks like someone has been slapped in the beginning. The redness is limited to the cheeks and may remind some people of a butterfly shape when they look into the face of a patient. In the following days, the rash is also visible on the arms and legs until it is almost all over the body.
Here the redness is rather garland-shaped and can make the skin appear rougher in the affected areas. However, itching or weeping does not usually occur. It is best for a pregnant woman to observe her body carefully and detect any skin changes early on.
Unfortunately, this is the only safe method to diagnose rubella yourself. Without the skin changes, the diagnosis cannot be made reliably and makes a viral infection by influenza viruses (flu pathogens) much more likely. In case of unspecific flu symptoms, a gynecologist should always be consulted.
