Doctors in Pennsylvania have identified at least six babies born already infected with measles during the state's outbreak, and two were sick enough to need intensive care, NBC News reported last week. The Pennsylvania Department of Health's public statewide updates have not listed a separate count of these infections, so the figure reflects physicians' reports rather than a confirmed state tally.
The condition, called congenital measles, occurs when a mother infected late in pregnancy passes the virus to her baby before or during birth. It has rarely been seen in the U.S., and many doctors are treating it for the first time.
For expecting parents, the concern does not end at birth. Babies infected this early face a higher risk of rare brain complications that can appear years later, and the measles vaccine cannot be given during pregnancy.
A Doctor's Count Ahead of Any Official Tally
"None of us have any experience treating this disease, because up until a couple of months ago, it didn't occur," Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease expert at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), told NBC News, as summarized by KFF Health News. Doctors can offer only supportive care for sick newborns, including fluids, fever control, and a breathing machine if needed.
According to NBC News, congenital measles was uncommon before the measles vaccine arrived in the early 1960s because most women had been infected as children and were immune by the time they became pregnant. Vaccination later kept measles rare in the U.S. for decades, and NBC linked the return of congenital cases to falling vaccination rates.
MedicalDaily previously reported that Pennsylvania's outbreak reached 890 cases across 39 counties as of Sept. 25, with 173 hospitalizations and four measles-associated deaths. The Department of Health's latest statewide update does not say how many newborns were infected at birth, which hospitals treated them, or how the two babies who needed intensive care are doing.
Newborns Face Risks That Can Surface Years Later
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently published a congenital measles FAQ for clinicians. An estimated 25% to 30% of babies born to mothers with measles at delivery are also infected, CIDRAP reported. Some show no symptoms, while others develop a rash or problems in several organs, and some die.
"Children with congenital measles can be quite sick," Dr. Adam Ratner, a member of the AAP's Committee on Infectious Diseases, told CIDRAP.
Congenital measles also raises the risk of encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, a progressive brain disease that Ratner said is "essentially invariably fatal." He said some children infected very early in life, including babies with congenital measles, developed SSPE after about a couple of years rather than the more typical seven to 10 years. He also stressed that SSPE is very rare.
The number of affected babies in Pennsylvania is small, their long-term outcomes are not yet known, and no one can predict which infants, if any, will develop complications.
Protection Has to Start Before Pregnancy
The MMR vaccine contains a weakened live virus, so it cannot be given during pregnancy. That makes a mother's immunity before conception the main protection for a newborn.
The outbreak's age profile adds to the concern. About seven in 10 of Pennsylvania's cases this year have involved people 18 and older, and the largest single age group is 25 to 49, according to a CIDRAP op-ed by public health researcher Jess Steier, DrPH.
"We are limited in terms of our options for pregnant people who are non-immune for prevention," Ratner said. A pregnant person without immunity who is exposed to measles can receive immune globulin, a treatment made of donated antibodies. According to the AAP FAQ, babies born within two weeks of the start of their mother's rash also qualify for immune globulin.
Ratner said immune globulin "may help make the infection somewhat milder" because it supplies some of the antibodies the baby did not get across the placenta from a mother who is not immune. It does not replace a mother's own immunity, and it works only if the exposure is recognized in time. Newborns are also too young for their own MMR dose, which makes the people around them their main protection for many months.
Expecting Parents in Outbreak Counties Have Options Now
People planning a pregnancy can ask a provider to confirm they are up to date on MMR vaccination or to check their immunity with a blood test. Those who need the vaccine should get it before trying to conceive, since CDC guidance advises avoiding pregnancy for 28 days after an MMR shot. Pregnant people who are unsure of their immunity should talk with their obstetric provider now rather than after an exposure.
Anyone pregnant who may have been exposed should call a provider right away, because immune globulin must be given soon after exposure to help. A newborn with fever or rash in the first days of life needs prompt medical care, and families should call ahead so staff can prevent spread.
Other household members matter too. Vaccinating partners, older children, and caregivers lowers the chance that measles reaches a pregnant person or newborn. Pennsylvania providers gave more than 49,000 MMR doses in August, the state said. The vaccine is available through health care providers, county or municipal health departments, state health centers, federally qualified health centers, and the Vaccines for Children program. People who think they were exposed and have symptoms can contact a provider or call the Department of Health at 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).
Sept. 25, 2026: Pennsylvania reports 890 measles cases in 39 counties.
Aug. 25, 2026: Pennsylvania announces two measles-associated deaths, including a Lancaster County newborn; the county coroner has disputed that measles contributed to the baby's death.
Key Questions Answered
What is congenital measles? It is measles in a newborn who caught the virus from the mother before or during birth, usually when the mother was infected late in pregnancy.
How many Pennsylvania babies have it? Doctors told NBC News at least six babies were born with measles, and two needed intensive care. The state has not published a confirmed count.
What is SSPE? It is a rare, progressive, and almost always fatal brain disease that can appear years after measles infection. Infection very early in life raises the risk and can shorten the time before it appears.
Can pregnant people get the MMR vaccine? No. It is a live vaccine, so immunity should be confirmed before pregnancy, and the CDC advises avoiding pregnancy for 28 days after vaccination.
What should a pregnant person do after an exposure? Call a provider right away. Immune globulin may help protect a pregnant person who is not immune.
Can newborns be treated? Care is supportive, and the AAP says babies born within two weeks of the start of the mother's rash qualify for immune globulin, which may make the illness milder.
Where can Pennsylvanians get help? Contact a health care provider or local health department, or call 877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258).
Published by Medicaldaily.com
