June 30, 2009

Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome

Just four decades ago our nation was struck by an epidemic like no other... Its target: unborn babies.

The Rubella virus, also known as the German Measles, is a mild viral infection. When contracted by children and adults it results in a skin a rash, blood shot eyes, muscle and joint pain, and in some more rare cases bruising can occur. There is no cure for the Rubella virus, but its symptoms only last for a few days (50% of cases go by unnoticed). However, this virus is not completely harmless…
If a pregnant woman contracts the Rubella Virus during her first trimester, her unborn baby has a 90% chance of developing Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS).

Congenital Rubella Syndrome generally causes/puts the fetus at risk for:
- heart defects
- blindness
- deafness
- mental retardation
- behavioral disorders
- developmental delays
- growth retardation
- bone disease
- enlarged liver or spleen

So far there is no cure for Rubella or Congenital Rubella Syndrome; however, there is a vaccine available for the Rubella virus. The MMR vaccine is a 3-in-1 shot, which means this one vaccine protects against three viruses: measles, mumps, and rubella.
The MMR vaccine is so effective that the number of CRS cases has decreased from over 20,000 diagnosed cases during the mid 1960’s to less than 5 documented cases a year.

NJADB was founded by parents of children who were born with CRS. At the time, there were no services in NJ to provide support to these children. They attended schools in the surrounding area to develop skills including independent living, communication and mobility to maximize their independence and improve their quality of life.

For a person with significant developmental disabilities, eligibility for support services through the education department runs out at age 21. Parents became concerned for the the future of their children. Questions like, Will I be able to care for my adult child at home? Will I be able to support their ongoing skills development and help maintain the skills they have gained at school? Where will they live and who will take care of them at when I get older?, were of grave concern for families throughout NJ.

NJADB was developed by a group of parents and professionals as an answer to these questions. Working with the state of NJ, NJADB, a private non profit organization was formed, first as a support group in 1976, and later as a direct service provider to people with CSR. Today NJADB manages eight group homes that are designed to meet the unique needs of people who are deaf and/or blind and developmentally disabled.

NJADB exists to improve the quality of life of people who are deaf-blind, and while many years after the Rubella epidemic the incidence of CSR has been reduced, the children born in the mid 1960's with CSR will continue to require support for their lifetime.

Bibliography:
“Congenital Rubella Syndrome.” Children’s Hospital Boston. 2007. 26 June 2009
.
Kaneshiro, Neil K. “Rubella.” MedlinePlus. 27 May 2009. US National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. 26 June 2009
.
“Rubella.” Surveillance Case Definition. 29 July 2008. State of New Jersey Department
of Health and Senior Services. 26 June 2009 .
“The MMR Vaccine.” babycenter. 2009. 29 June 2009
.
“Vaccine Timeline.” Vaccine & Immunizations. 19 October 2006. Department of
Health and Human Services: Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 26 June
2009 .