Insist that anyone who wants to hold or touch your newborn wash their hands first – this should be the norm anyway due to COVID-19.A skin abscess is a large pocket of pus that has formed just beneath the skin. Same goes for people who have a cold or virus. With visitors, do not allow anyone who has a cold sore or has had one recently to hold your baby. HSV can’t be passed through breast milk, so unless you have sores or lesion on your breasts, breastfeeding is safe. In the unlikely event your baby has been exposed, we’ll treat the baby with antiviral medications. There’s no reason to risk a new infection close to delivery. Condoms can reduce the risk of transmission but aren’t 100% effective. If your partner has herpes and you don’t, do not have sex and oral sex the last few weeks of pregnancy. How can I protect my newborn from getting herpes? If this is the case, we’ll cover them to make sure the baby doesn’t come into contact with them. Lesions can sometimes appear in other areas, such as the legs or back. If you have no symptoms and no sores in the genital region, a vaginal delivery may be safe. If we see something suspicious, we will recommend a C-section. Once you go into labor, we’ll carefully examine you for genital lesions. But it does substantially decrease the risk to your baby if you have a lesion or report typical symptoms by bypassing contact with the vagina and labia. Will I need a C-section if I have herpes?Ī cesarean (C-section) can’t completely prevent herpes transmission. The antiviral medications are safe during pregnancy. In fact, we can give the same medications to your baby if needed. We typically recommend starting an antiviral at 36 weeks or sooner if you are at risk for preterm birth. If you have a history of herpes (or your blood test is positive), your provider may prescribe an antiviral medication such as acyclovir (Valtrex) to reduce the risk of spreading the virus or having an outbreak around the time of your delivery. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says 75% of pregnant women who have herpes, however, can expect to have an outbreak during pregnancy.ĭuring pregnancy, you should watch for symptoms of the virus becoming active, such as tingling, itching, or burning around where the sore will eventually appear. There is no evidence to suggest pregnancy causes flare-ups. How can I manage herpes during pregnancy? If you are concerned about privacy, we will note in your chart not to discuss the condition in front of anyone at your appointments – we are happy to accommodate this common request.
If you’re not certain but think you may have had herpes in the past, we can do a blood test to determine whether you have had the infection. By knowing, we can take extra precautions to reduce your baby's risk of infection during delivery and in their first few weeks at home. Tell your doctor if you or your partner have herpes or if you may have been exposed. organ damage, including to the liver, lungs, and heart.
Recurrent sores on the skin, eyes, genitals, or mouth.Serious infections, such as viral meningitis.Herpes infection occurs in less than 1% of births, but it can cause severe illness in newborns, such as: During delivery, your baby may be exposed to the virus, even if you are not having an outbreak. However, it can cause serious health problems in newborns. Herpes is generally manageable in adults. More than half of adults in America get HSV-1 at some point in their lives. HSV-1, which is best known for causing cold sores, can also produce genital lesions (blisters or open sores). HSV-2 (herpes simplex virus) is the most common and typically spreads through sexual contact. Two viral strains can cause genital herpes. Two percent contract it during pregnancy – that's 1 in 50 pregnant women. Approximately 22% of pregnant women in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 people between the ages of 14 and 49 have it. Genital herpes is one of the most common health conditions in the U.S.