hsvmom

1. Very very very very few babies are infected in the uterus. Most babies with neonatal herpes are infected during childbirth. It happens primarily to women who acquire herpes during the last several weeks of pregnancy and have not yet developed antibodies to pass to the fetus. Transmission only occurs when the virus is shedding, which can happen with or without an outbreak.
2. Yes, your baby can have neonatal herpes even if delivered by c-section, but this is not common. This usually happens in specific circumstances, such as when a mother's membranes are rupture longer than 6 hours prior to delivery and in the presence of viral shedding.
3. In infants who are not treated properly or early enough, the virus travels to the central nervous system and causes encephalitis, which can cause severe brain damage and death.

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Mom to two HSV-1 survivors!