What we know about measles during pregnancy
CBC
The death of an Ontario infant born prematurely and infected with measles through the mother is raising questions about how the virus is transmitted during pregnancy.
On Thursday, Ontario health officials announced the death of a baby who was infected with the virus while in the womb. It was the first fatality in the provincial outbreak that began on Oct. 28 last year and includes 2,009 probable and confirmed cases.
"While measles may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death, the infant also faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus," Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said in a statement released Thursday.
Measles is a respiratory infection with symptoms that include fever, a blotchy rash, a cough and red, watery eyes. In May 2024, a child under five died of measles in Hamilton, but before that, there were no measles deaths in the province in more than a decade.
Moore has previously said the current outbreak was traced to a Mennonite wedding in New Brunswick, and is spreading primarily in Mennonite and Amish communities where vaccination rates lag. The majority of those cases are in southwestern Ontario.
Health officials stress that anyone who isn't vaccinated is vulnerable to measles and they encourage everyone to ensure they are up to date on their Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines.
"I urge everyone, but especially those who may become pregnant, to ensure they have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, which will protect both a parent and baby," said Moore.
Dr. Jacqueline Wong, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at McMaster Children's Hospital, says transmission of measles during pregnancy is rare.
If the baby does contract measles from the mother in utero, Wong says the impact varies depending on how far along the pregnancy is.
"Your risk of transmitting the infection to the baby varies during the different trimesters because of the development of the fetus, the development of the placenta and the blood flow."
Dr. Sheryl Choo, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, says there are serious complications that can result if people who are pregnant become infected with measles.
For instance, she says pregnant people infected with measles can develop lung infections like pneumonia at almost double the rate of those who are not pregnant.
If people become infected with measles during pregnancy, Choo notes it can also increase the risk of serious complications including miscarriage and premature birth.
According to Moore, the MMR vaccine has been safely used for over 50 years and is highly effective. "Two doses provide nearly 100 per cent protection," he said in a statement Thursday.
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