Genital herpes is a contagious disease which affects the genital areas of your body. It falls under the category of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) as the virus which causes it spreads mainly through sexual contact. Usually there are blister and sore formations in the genital region which are not too hazardous. But if you contract genital herpes during pregnancy, you could be heading for serious complications.
Let us discus those complications through some common FAQ’s related to genital herpes during pregnancy.
Can genital herpes affect you if you contract it before pregnancy?
Genital herpes will not cause serious repercussions if you get it before becoming pregnant. Your body will have enough time to develop antibodies to combat the infection. The same immunity will also be conferred to the baby inside you. The baby is not likely to acquire the disease because of this immunity.
What if you contracted genital herpes during the first trimester of your pregnancy?
Even though the chances of your baby acquiring the infection are less, there still exists some risk. In some cases, mothers having genital herpes within the first trimester of pregnancy have passed on the virus to the baby. In some cases, there have been miscarriages as well. But otherwise, your baby has very little chance of acquiring the infection since you have already passed immunity on to your baby.
What if you contracted genital herpes in the later stages of pregnancy?
Genital herpes during the last stages of pregnancy can pose serious threats to your unborn child. The last six weeks of pregnancy, in particular, is the worst time for herpes. This is because if you acquire the infection during the last stages, your body will not get enough time to prepare antibodies to fight the infection. That means your baby will have very little chance of acquiring immunity against the virus. If you have vaginal birth, the problem is compounded, since your baby has a high probability of coming in contact with an open sore on your vagina during delivery. That is why most mothers who contract genital herpes in the last few weeks of pregnancy undergo a Caesarian section to reduce the risk mentioned above.
Herpes in newborn babies is called neonatal herpes. Cases of neonatal herpes are few and far between. If it affects your child’s skin, eye or mouth it can be treated. However, if your baby’s central nervous system is affected by herpes, there could be serious complications.
Are there any visible symptoms if your baby has neonatal herpes?
There are a few symptoms, though not very indicative of neonatal herpes only. A child with neonatal herpes may show low appetite, appear very irritable and experience seizures. But since a child can show these activities even for different reasons, it is often very difficult to conclude that these symptoms are caused by herpes only.
You should be very careful and ensure that you do not contract genital herpes during pregnancy. Maintain physical contact with your partner (or with other partners if you have any) to a bare minimum. Remember that, it is not just you who will suffer from the infection; your unborn child may also run the risk of contracting the same from you.
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