The Hospital Incidence and Clinical Significance of Congenital Heart Malformations Resulting from Rubella Embryopathy

A retrospective study is reported of 75 children with rubella embryopathy syndrome, admitted to the Health Centre for Children, Vancouver General Hospital, during the four-year period from July 1, 1964 to July 1, 1968.Sixty-four of the 75 had cardiovascular malformations, 37 had ophthalmological defects, 31 had nerve deafness and three were mentally retarded. The most common cardiovascular defects were patent ductus arteriosus (36 patients), ventricular septal defect (22 patients) and pulmonary valvular stenosis (17 patients).Ninety-three per cent of the mothers had a history of exposure to rubella during their first trimester.The administration of gamma globulin to mothers exposed to rubella did not prevent fetal damage.Although this group of patients accounted for only 6% of children requiring open-heart surgery, it did account for 27% of the children having closed-heart surgical procedures and 10% of the case load of the cardiac catheterization laboratory.