109. Common Infant Concerns

Measles (red). Of the children who get measles:

• 1 in 10 will get an ear infection or pneumonia.
• 1 in 1,000 may have encephalitis (brain inflammation) that can lead to convulsions, deafness or mental disabilities.
• Of those who get measles disease, 1 in 3,000 will die from it.
• Pregnant people with measles may have a miscarriage, or their child may be born with mental or physical handicaps.

Mumps. Of the children who get mumps disease:

• 1 in 10 will develop a mild inflammation of the spinal cord and brain covering (meningitis)
• In rare cases, a child’s brain may become inflamed (encephalitis)

Of adults who get mumps disease:

• about 1 in 4 men with mumps will develop painfully swollen testicles
• about 1 in 10 women will develop a very painful infection in their ovaries
• Mumps can cause sterility (not able to have children)

Rubella (German measles). A few children who have rubella have a temporary low platelet count that can cause unusual bruising or can cause them to bleed easier. People who have rubella in the first 5 months of their pregnancy have an 80% chance of passing it on to their baby before birth. It can cause a miscarriage or the baby can be born with serious health issues (e.g., blindness, deafness or heart damage). About 1 in 10 babies born with rubella will die before they are 1 year old.

• Due to outbreaks, Canada had 2,300 measles cases in 1995. After a 2-dose immunization program was introduced, there was an average of 11 cases a year from 2002-2006. Also:
• 4 of every 5 cases of measles are in school-aged children
• fewer than 200 cases of mumps disease are reported each year in Canada
• fewer than 100 cases of rubella disease are reported each year in Canada

Getting the MMR vaccine is much safer than getting the diseases.