Abstract
Twenty cases, born during 1982-1997, of congenital hearing loss following maternal rubella are reported. The patients' mothers contracted rubella patients between the second and seventh months of gestation. Three cases were accompanied with persistent ductus arteriosus and cataract. The severity of deafness seemed to be correlated with the time of maternal rubella infection. Though most cases were children with bilateral hearing loss, some cases who suffered from rubella after the fourth month of gestation were those with asymmetry hearing loss, and three cases were those with unilateral hearing loss. These cases must be followed until their hearing abilities can be tested correctly. To protect children from congenital rubella syndrome, it is suggested that our rubella vaccine program should be conducted in order to prevent prevalence of rubella. Woman are advised to test their serum rubella antibodies and receive rubella vaccine before pregnancy.
