Has anyone experienced having a child with a herpes breakout?
did the child have any serious effects?
I am pregnant, but so is my best friend, she is due any day now and has had a recent active breakout and scared of a c-section.
Whatever you do, NEVER deliver a child vaginally if you think you may have a breakout or recent breakout of genital herpes. The most debilitating side-effect of vaginal birth on the baby being inoculation of the eyes with the herpes virus. This can and will cause permanent blindness in the baby. Other infections it can cause are:
Localized infections of the skin, eyes, and mouth (SEM)
Localized CNS disease
Disseminated disease involving multiple organs
The risk of transmitting the virus to the fetus is 5% overall, but this figure jumps to 35% if you have your first outbreak active during childbirth
Any woman with a history of HSV should be on acyclovir/famcyclovir supression 1-2 weeks before her anticipated due date. If there are active lesions seen at the time of labor, then cesarean section is absolutely indicated.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:06 am
Most hospitals would advise you to have a c-section if you have a active herpes outbreak at the time you go into labour, this is to reduce the chance of passing on the virus to your new bundle of joy.
References :
November 5th, 2009 at 5:52 am
Whatever you do, NEVER deliver a child vaginally if you think you may have a breakout or recent breakout of genital herpes. The most debilitating side-effect of vaginal birth on the baby being inoculation of the eyes with the herpes virus. This can and will cause permanent blindness in the baby. Other infections it can cause are:
Localized infections of the skin, eyes, and mouth (SEM)
Localized CNS disease
Disseminated disease involving multiple organs
The risk of transmitting the virus to the fetus is 5% overall, but this figure jumps to 35% if you have your first outbreak active during childbirth
Any woman with a history of HSV should be on acyclovir/famcyclovir supression 1-2 weeks before her anticipated due date. If there are active lesions seen at the time of labor, then cesarean section is absolutely indicated.
References :
Use of routine viral cultures at delivery to identify neonates exposed to herpes simplex virus.
Prober CG; Hensleigh PA; Boucher FD; Yasukawa LL; Au DS; Arvin AM
N Engl J Med 1988 Apr 7;318(14):887-91
November 5th, 2009 at 6:03 am
If she is having a break out at the time delivery then she will have to have a c-section. A baby delivered when a mother has a herpes outbreak has a high chance of blindness and oral herpes. She should see her doctor immediately and see about being put on valtrex or acyclovir to help clear up the breakout faster. These meds are safe during the third trimester of pregnancy.
References :