Pregnancy with Herpes

An active genital herpes usually present less physical threat to an otherwise healthy adult than a pregnant woman. During pregnancy, if it is infected at the first time, they are likely to be more severe. It is rare, but newborn herpes could affect the baby in some ways. Very rarely, a first infection causes premature birth if the mother is very ill. Of newborns that do get herpes from their mother, most become infected while they are being born through the mother s infected birth canal. The newborn might suffer brain damage, blindness, or even death. A longstanding infection is usually not a threat, but the doctor might need to perform a cesarean section to help avoid infecting the baby if a herpes recurrence appears around the time of the birth. The greatest risk occurs, if you acquired herpes late in pregnancy. If you or the baby’s father is infected, or you have sex with a new or infected partner while pregnant, tell your doctor so that he or she could take precautions to protect your baby.