§ Mr. Sydney Irvingasked the Minister of Health whether he has yet received any advice from the Medical Research Council on the effects of minor illnesses of expectant mothers on the growing unborn child and, in particular, on the danger of the birth to a woman catching German measles in the final three months of pregnancy of a baby with a congenital malformation.
§ Miss PittA report published in March, 1958, by the Statistical Research Unit of the Medical Research Council, revealed no evidence that mumps, measles or chickenpox produce congenital defects in the infant and confirmed the known association between german measles occurring in early pregnancy and congenital defects of heart, vision and hearing. Further research, particularly into the effects of german measles, is in progress.