Congenital Measles: A Review

Since measles was declared “eliminated” in the United States following widespread vaccination, congenital measles has been exceedingly rare. As a result, many neonatal clinicians are unlikely to have encountered a case during or after training. However, with the rise of vaccine hesitancy and declining vaccination rates, the incidence of measles among women of childbearing age, and thus the risk of gestational and congenital measles, has increased. Because the incidence of measles incidence is expected to continue to rise, it is imperative that neonatal clinicians be familiar with the presentation, complications, and management of congenital measles. In this review, we summarize the historical epidemiology of congenital measles and provide current and future epidemiological predictions in the context of declining vaccinations. We also describe the clinical course and general management of congenital measles.