Rubella immunity in pregnant women in a north London practice

Congenital malformations due to rubella embryopathy are preventable. All women embarking on pregnancy should be immune and know that they are immune to rubella to guard against the risk of contracting the disease during pregnancy. A previous history of clinical rubella or rubella vaccination is not reliable, and women should be screened for antibodies when possible before planning to conceive, and particularly before a first pregnancy. As general practitioners committed to the practice of prevention, we should undertake rubella screening for all our women patients before they conceive. This could easily be incorporated into our contraceptive services. We will be greatly helped if family planning clinics adopted a policy of screening for rubella antibodies, always remembering that good documentation and communication will avoid duplication and confusion and reduce costs.