Overview
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), also known as expanded rubella syndrome or fetal rubella syndrome, is a condition that occurs when a pregnant woman is infected with the rubella virus (German measles), particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy, and the virus is transmitted to the developing fetus. The rubella virus crosses the placenta and causes widespread damage to rapidly dividing fetal cells, leading to a characteristic pattern of birth defects. CRS is not a genetic disorder but rather a congenital infection with teratogenic effects. The classic triad of CRS includes sensorineural hearing loss (the most common single defect), congenital heart defects (particularly patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery stenosis), and eye abnormalities (especially cataracts and pigmentary retinopathy). Additional features may include microcephaly, intellectual disability, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenic purpura (often presenting as a characteristic 'blueberry muffin' rash), jaundice, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth restriction. Some manifestations may not become apparent until later in childhood or adulthood, including endocrine disorders such as diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction, as well as progressive panencephalitis. There is no specific antiviral treatment for CRS. Management is supportive and multidisciplinary, addressing individual manifestations such as cardiac surgery for heart defects, cataract removal, hearing aids or cochlear implants for hearing loss, and early intervention programs for developmental delays. Prevention through maternal rubella vaccination (typically as part of the MMR vaccine) remains the most effective strategy and has dramatically reduced the incidence of CRS in countries with high vaccination coverage. Infants with CRS may shed the virus for up to a year or more after birth and require appropriate infection control measures.
Clinical phenotype terms— hover any for plain English:
Neonatal
Begins at or shortly after birth (first 4 weeks)
FDA & Trial Timeline
10 eventsAmin Javer — PHASE3
Peking University Third Hospital — NA
Airiver Medical, Inc. — NA
BDH-Klinik Hessisch Oldendorf
Polyganics BV — NA
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center — NA
VivaVision Biotech, Inc — PHASE1
Ärzteverband Deutscher Allergologen e.V.
Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences
Data sourced from FDA regulatory filings and ClinicalTrials.gov. Updated periodically.
Treatments
No FDA-approved treatments are currently listed for Congenital rubella syndrome.
View clinical trials →Clinical Trials
View all trials with filters →No actively recruiting trials found for Congenital rubella syndrome at this time.
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Treatment Centers
8 centersBaylor College of Medicine Rare Disease Center ↗
Baylor College of Medicine
📍 Houston, TX
🏥 NORDStanford Medicine Rare Disease Center ↗
Stanford Medicine
📍 Stanford, CA
🔬 UDNNIH Clinical Center Undiagnosed Diseases Program ↗
National Institutes of Health
📍 Bethesda, MD
🔬 UDNUCLA UDN Clinical Site ↗
UCLA Health
📍 Los Angeles, CA
🔬 UDNBaylor College of Medicine UDN Clinical Site ↗
Baylor College of Medicine
📍 Houston, TX
🔬 UDNHarvard/MGH UDN Clinical Site ↗
Massachusetts General Hospital
📍 Boston, MA
🏥 NORDMayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine ↗
Mayo Clinic
📍 Rochester, MN
👤 Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine
🏥 NORDUCLA Rare Disease Day Program ↗
UCLA Health
📍 Los Angeles, CA
Travel Grants
No travel grants are currently matched to Congenital rubella syndrome.
Community
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Start the conversation →Latest news about Congenital rubella syndrome
Disease timeline:
New recruiting trial: Real-life Evaluation of the Efficacy of Biologicals in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyposis (CRSwNP)
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: PRONTO Trial (PRophylactic Versus ON-demand Use of TOcilizumab)
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: PHASE II EVALUATION OF CYTOREDUCTION SURGERY AND HYPERTHERMIC INTRAPERITONEAL CHEMOTHERAPY (CRS/HIPEC) IN GASTRIC CANCER
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: CRS Questionnaire Validation Project
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: Effectiveness of Penthrox vs Placebo in Sinus Procedures, a Clinical Trial
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: Early Detection of Complications During Immunotherapy for Haematological Malignancy
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: Ruxolitinib With and Without CTLA-4 Ig Abatacept for the Prophylaxis of Graft-Versus-Host Disease and Cytokine Release Syndrome After T-cell Replete Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: Effectiveness of Repositioning and Cranial Remolding in Infants With Cranial Deformation
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: Peritoneal Surface Malignancies - Characterization, Models and Treatment Strategies
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
New recruiting trial: Subjective and Objective Outcome of ESS in CRSwNP
A new clinical trial is recruiting patients for Congenital rubella syndrome
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Common questions about Congenital rubella syndrome
What is Congenital rubella syndrome?
Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), also known as expanded rubella syndrome or fetal rubella syndrome, is a condition that occurs when a pregnant woman is infected with the rubella virus (German measles), particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy, and the virus is transmitted to the developing fetus. The rubella virus crosses the placenta and causes widespread damage to rapidly dividing fetal cells, leading to a characteristic pattern of birth defects. CRS is not a genetic disorder but rather a congenital infection with teratogenic effects. The classic triad of CRS includes sensorin
At what age does Congenital rubella syndrome typically begin?
Typical onset of Congenital rubella syndrome is neonatal. Age of onset can vary across affected individuals.
Which specialists treat Congenital rubella syndrome?
4 specialists and care centers treating Congenital rubella syndrome are listed on UniteRare, sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov principal investigators, published research, and the NPPES NPI registry.