The Long‐Term Effects of In Utero Exposure to Rubella

ABSTRACT A rubella infection in early pregnancy poses a significant risk of damage to the foetus. In this paper, we examine the later‐life impact of a rubella outbreak that occurred in Ireland in 1956. Matching the outcomes of individuals born in 1954–1957 in the 2016 Irish Census of Population to the county‐level rubella incidence rate that was prevailing when respondents were in utero in early pregnancy, we find that one extra rubella case per 10,000 population is associated with between 0.4% and 1.2% point increases in the probability of having lower levels of educational attainment, being in poor health and having a disability in later life.