If you are the proud recipient of a positive pregnancy test, we congratulate you! You are at the beginning of an exciting journey, complete with a new meaning to the word "life."

You also have more tests in the near future, with the first being a blood test performed during your first prenatal visit. This blood test will determine your blood type and Rh factor (positive or negative). It will also check for the presence of any sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. You will be screened for anemia, hepatitis and immunity to rubella.

Rubella (German measles) is a mild childhood illness that brings with it a rash, low-grade fever and sore throat. However, the disease is a serious threat to an unborn fetus. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnant women who contract rubella may lose their babies. Birth defects such as deafness, blindness, heart disease and brain damage may occur, in addition to other serious problems.

Most women are immune to rubella by either a previous series of vaccinations or by having contracted the disease as a child. Some pregnant women are not immune to rubella.

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