Herpes and Pregnancy

Most women are concerned about herpes and pregnancy. Herpes in adults is a treatable condition. To infants however, it can lead to complications resulting in rare but serious illnesses.

What is herpes?

In order to understand the link between herpes and pregnancy, we first need to understand what herpes really is. Herpes, medically known as the herpes simplex virus, can take two forms: oral herpes or genital herpes. Oral herpes is also known as cold sores and it can be symptomatic or asymptomatic. In more than half the cases, the virus will remain asymptomatic. Visible symptoms include the sores that appear on the lips or around the mouth.

Genital herpes is the second form of the herpes simplex virus. It is a sexually-transmitted infection and it affects the mucous membranes and skin of the genitals. As with oral herpes, genital herpes can remain asymptomatic. This can be problematic as you can catch it and not even know it. Symptoms, apart from the visible blisters, can include:

  • Fever;
  • Decreased appetite;
  • Muscle aches;
  • Persistent sick feeling (malaise).







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    Cultures from the open sores or blisters will be taken in order to diagnose whether or not your are infected with herpes. Blood tests can also be used, but the most accurate test is the PCR test which searches for the herpes-related DNA.

    There is no cure for herpes. Treatment for oral herpes involves acetaminophen and ibuprofen. It can be administered at home without involving a visit to your doctor. Drinking lots of fluids will prevent dehydration. Avoid contact in order not to transmit the condition. Genital herpes cannot be treated. There is medication that can help with the symptoms, but it can only heal the sores, not the condition itself.

    Herpes and Pregnancy

    The threat of a baby contracting herpes at birth is relatively low and it depends on many aspects. If the mother has a history of infections prior to conceiving, then the baby has less than a 1% chance of catching herpes during normal birth. However, if the mother becomes infected towards the end of the pregnancy for the very first time, the birth canal might be infected. When the baby is delivered, it can catch the herpes. This is because the mother did not have the chance to produce the natural antibodies for the herpes. If she would have gotten the condition prior to becoming pregnant, her antibodies would have passed through the placenta and into the baby’s organism, shielding it during birth from the virus.

    If a baby indeed catches herpes, there is a chance that neonatal herpes will develop. Left untreated or undetected, this can lead to serious problems. Neonatal herpes can lead to anything from eye or throat infections to mental retardation, damage to the central nervous system and in very rare cases even death.

    The baby is predisposed to developing neonatal herpes in the first 28 days of life. After that, antibodies might take care of the problem. The baby can catch the herpes not only during birth, but through contact with infected people as well.

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