The long-term effects of in utero exposure to rubella

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.