Measles and your baby

What is measles and how does it spread?

Measles (also called rubeola) is a virus that lives in droplets in the nose, mouth and throat of an infected person. It spreads very easily to others when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The measles virus can live up to 2 hours on surfaces or in the air where an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.

Measles spreads so easily that up to 9 in 10 (90 percent) of people who aren’t immune will get sick if they are close to an infected person. While it was once rare in the U.S., cases are rising in communities with low vaccination rates. This includes measles outbreaks in some states. A measles outbreak is when measles spreads among three or more people who were in the same place around the same time.

Why is measles dangerous during pregnancy?

If you get measles while pregnant, you can pass it to your baby. This can cause serious complications including:

• Miscarriage or stillbirth. When a baby dies in the womb.
• Preterm birth. Birth that happens too early, before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.
• Low birthweight (also called LBW). When a baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
• Maternal or infant death.

Health problems caused by measles

Measles can cause serious health problems for people of all ages. But it’s especially harmful for pregnant women, babies, children younger than 5 and people with weakened immune systems. About 1 in 3 children under the age of 5 who get measles need treatment in a hospital. About 1 in 5 people (20 percent) who get measles need treatment in a hospital.

Measles can cause these health problems:

• Lung and breathing problems. This includes bronchitis and croup.  Bronchitis can cause cough, breathing problems and wheezing. Croup is inflammation of the vocal cords and windpipe, and can cause trouble breathing, a barking cough and a hoarse voice.
• Diarrhea
• Ear infections and blindness. About 1 in 10 children with measles (10 percent) have an ear infection.
• Pneumonia. This is a lung infection. As many as 1 in 20 children with measles (5 percent) get pneumonia.
• Encephalitis. This is swelling and irritation of the brain. About 1 in 1,000 children with measles develop encephalitis.
• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (also called SSPE). A rare, deadly disease that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). SSPE can develop 7 to 10 years after a person has measles, even though the person seems to have fully recovered from the infection. The chances of having SSPE may be higher if a person gets measles before 2 years of age.

How does the MMR vaccination prevent the spread of disease?

MMR stands for measles, mumps, and rubella. The vaccination protects against all three diseases. Vaccinations are shots that contain a vaccine that helps protect you from certain diseases. A vaccine is medicine in a vaccination that makes you immune to certain diseases. If you’re immune to a disease, you can’t get that disease. Being immune also helps prevent the disease from spreading to others.

The MMR vaccination protects against three contagious diseases caused by viruses:

1. Measles
2. Mumps. Mumps can cause fever, headache, and swollen glands in the front of the ears around the jaw. It sometimes causes more serious complications, like brain swelling.
3. Rubella (also called German measles). Rubella can cause mild flu-like symptoms and a rash. If a pregnant woman has rubella, it can cause serious complications, like miscarriage or birth defects in the baby.

The MMR vaccine is proven to be safe and effective. A lot of research has been done to make sure vaccination schedules are safe for children and adults. View our vaccinations and pregnancy chart and our vaccination schedule for babies and young children to learn more about vaccinations and the best time to get them. 

How can you protect your family from measles?

The best way to protect your family from measles and prevent the spread of measles is to make sure everyone’s vaccinations are up to date. Here’s what you can do:

Ask your healthcare provider if your vaccinations are up to date before you try to get pregnant. You can’t get the MMR vaccination during pregnancy, so ask your provider if you need one before you get pregnant. If you don’t have a record of your vaccinations, your provider can check your immunity with a blood test. If you need an MMR vaccination, wait at least 28 days after you get the shot before you try to get pregnant. If you need two doses, wait at least 28 days after your second shot before you try to get pregnant.

If you haven’t been vaccinated, you need at least one dose (shot) of the MMR vaccine before pregnancy. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended if:

• You work or study in certain places, including healthcare settings (like a hospital or doctor’s office) or at a college.
• You travel outside the U.S.
• You have a family member who has a weakened immune system.
• You have HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
• There is a measles outbreak in your area, and you are at increased risk according to guidelines from your local or state health department.

Even if you got MMR vaccinations as a child, you may need a booster shot (another dose).

You can get the MMR vaccination after pregnancy, even if you are breastfeeding your baby. You can even get it in the hospital after your baby’s birth.

Make sure your baby’s vaccinations are up to date. The first dose of the MMR vaccine is given at 12 to 15 months old, and the second at 4 to 6 years old. Two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles.

If you plan to travel with your baby outside the United States, tell their provider. Your baby may need vaccination before you travel:

• Babies 6 to 11 months old need one dose of the MMR vaccination before travelling outside the U.S.
• If your baby gets an MMR vaccination before their first birthday, two more doses are needed: one when at 12 to 15 months old and a second dose at least 28 days later.
• If you live in an outbreak area where measles is spreading, talk to your healthcare providers or local health department about getting your family vaccinated.
• Babies 6 through 11 months old may be able to get vaccinated.
• Children 1 to 4 years old may need a second dose of the MMR vaccination.
• Teens and adults who’ve had one MMR dose may need a second dose given at least 28 days after the first dose. 
• Children, teens, and adults who have not had MMR vaccination or who are not sure if they’ve been vaccinated may need two doses given at least 28 days apart.

Keep sick family members away from other people. If someone in your family has measles, keep other family members who haven’t been vaccinated away from that person. Anyone who has measles should stay home and avoid contact with other people during the 4 days before and 4 days after the measles rash breaks out.

Talk to your provider if you’ve been near someone with measles and you’re not vaccinated. If you’re pregnant and you think you’ve been exposed to measles, call your provider right away. Your provider may recommend testing, avoiding contact with other people and medicine (antibodies) that may help prevent measles. This is an intravenous (also called IV) medicine that’s given through a needle into a vein. If you’re not pregnant, your provider may recommend avoiding contact with others and IV antibody medicine or MMR vaccination.

What are signs and symptoms of measles?

Signs and symptoms of measles include:

• High fever (may spike to more than 104 F)
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, swollen eyes that may be watery or have sticky mucus (also called conjunctivitis or pink eye)
• Small white spots (also called Koplik spots) on the inside of the cheeks
• Rash

Measles can last for several weeks. Symptoms often start about 7 to 14 days after a person is infected. Small white spots may appear inside the mouth after the first symptoms. Two to five days after the first symptoms, a rash breaks out. It usually starts as flat red spots on the face that spread down the body to the arms, legs and feet. Small bumps may appear on top of the flat red spots.

A person infected with measles can spread the virus to others from 4 days before they develop a rash to 4 days after the rash appears. Some people with weak immune systems, like people with leukemia or HIV, may not develop a rash.

How are measles treated?

There’s no cure or specific treatment for measles. To manage measles symptoms and help your child feel better, have them drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. If your child seems uncomfortable from fever, ask their healthcare provider if you can give them infant’s or children’s acetaminophen (Tylenol ®) or ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil ®).

Last reviewed: September 2025