Maternal rubella can cause profound hearing loss in a fetus

Evidence

The audiogram in the lower-right position shows the effect on hearing of congenital rubella syndrome, which can occur in a developing fetus of a pregnant woman who contracts rubella (German measles) from about 4 weeks before conception to 20 weeks into pregnancy. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2363

The audiogram in the lower-right position shows the effect on hearing of congenital rubella syndrome, which can occur in a developing fetus of a pregnant woman who contracts rubella (German measles) from about 4 weeks before conception to 20 weeks into pregnancy. One possible effect on the infant is profound Table 7. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2363

Categorization

• QUESTION: Would be worth learning which mechanism produces the hearing loss and whether the 20-week window reflects developmental milestones.
• SHARE: The precise window—4 weeks before conception to 20 weeks gestation—is a niche clinical detail likely to delight a specific reader with a public-health background.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2363