Who's At Risk
HSV infections in newborns are usually the result of the virus being passed from mother to baby at the time of delivery. The highest risk of passing herpes to a newborn occurs when a pregnant woman develops primary herpes during her third trimester. In contrast, the risk of transmitting herpes to a newborn is much less (about 3%) in women who have recurrent herpes during their pregnancy. Vaginal delivery also increases the risk of transmission if active lesions are present in the genital area at the time of delivery. Neonatal herpes (within the first month of life) can be very severe, affecting the brain and other internal organs. Even with treatment, newborns have a very high risk of death.
Infants can also become infected with HSV through direct skin-to-skin contact with someone who has an active lesion. For instance:
- Kissing a child when you have an active lesion.
- Changing a diaper if there is a lesion on your hand.
- Breastfeeding with a lesion on the breast.
These infections are far less severe in nature and usually result in only sores on the mouth or lips of the infant.
Overview
