Herpes and Pregnancy

Herpes is a viral disease causing eruptions of the skin or mucous membranes, however, when it comes to genital herpes in the mother-to-be, the consequences can be devastating for the newborn.

Although the concern regarding a genital infection is understandable, the risk is extremely low, even for women with a clinical history of long-standing infections for them to become active during pregnancy.

Make sure to discuss with your physician your concerns, on your first visit, particularly if you or your partner suffered from a herpes outbreak before conceiving.

If you are diagnosed with genital herpes, it is more likely that the disease will not be transmitted to your baby during labor and delivery.

In the United States , only about 1,500 newborns are affected each year, which means that a newborn with herpes is relatively rare, and in about 90% of those cases, herpes is only transmitted when the baby is exposed to herpes simplex virus in the birth canal during delivery.

The disease can be very harmful to your developing baby, and there is a high risk of transmission if the pregnant woman has an active outbreak during delivery. Viral shedding during an outbreak is high so it is important to reduce the risk of your baby catching it.

You may want a Cesarean delivery to avoid the transmission risk, depending on whether you have visible sores on your vagina, cervix, or external genitals.

In this case, you will be prepared for immediate cesarean delivery, because time does matter during delivery and there is no time for testing to be done to see if you are having a possible outbreak.

There are just a few rare cases, in which a mother-to-be can transmit the infection through the placenta to the baby, when she gets genital herpes for the first time during pregnancy and has never had oral or genital herpes before. This condition, called primary infection, can cause serious birth defects.

Research has found that primary infection during the first trimester increases the risk of miscarriage, although other studies have not found any connection. During the second or third trimester, a pregnant woman is at increased risk for preterm delivery.

You can reduce the risk of getting infected with genital herpes or have an outbreak, by following a few simple recommendations:

Guidelines to follow throughout pregnancy:

- Avoid oral sex during the third trimester if your partner has suffered from oral herpes.

- Abstain from skin to skin contact near your partner's mouth or genitals every time he has an active outbreak or when it is coming on

- Make sure to use condoms if you are having intercourse, even when your partner is outbreak-free.

Many health care practitioners recommend that your partner take an antiviral medication throughout your pregnancy to lower the risk of him passing the infection to you.