Can herpes affect my pregnancy and newborn?

Definitely! Passing the infection to your baby during labor and also delivery is the greatest worry with genital herpes amid pregnancy. When this occurs, your baby could be undergoing severe medical issues. Luckily only less than 1 in 10,000 infants contracts the infection, despite the fact that genital herpes is genuinely common.

Also, herpes can be transmitted to your baby when you’re in labor and delivery if your body is undergoing “shedding” process of the active virus around that time (which means you’re infectious). Especially, during the third trimester of your pregnancy, you are at the greatest risk if you are infected around this time. Not so common, you are able to transmit the infection if you’ve been infected with herpes for a while and also have a new outbreak at the moment.

In uncommon cases, the moment you are infected with initial herpes amid your first trimester, the infection could go through the placenta and result in a miscarriage or severe birth defects. Furthermore, herpes can likewise be transmitted to your baby after birth and the complications can be really severe.

In any case, by placing it safe and getting the appropriate therapeutic care will help you minimize the risk your baby may encounter in getting infected. (What’s more, obviously, your child’s provider should be informed if you or your partner has been infected with herpes.)