Causes of Herpes during pregnancy

Both oral and venereal herpes are extremely infectious diseases. The causal agents for them are two different strains of the Herpes virus: HSV-1 and HSV-2 respectively. Venereal herpes is mainly transmitted sexually but in rare cases, it can also be transmitted from a parturient mother to her unborn offspring. This may prove to be fatal for the infant if it is transferred. It seems improbable that a virus could be transmitted through the placental layer during pregnancy. Many complications can arise due to this transmission and the chances of still born defects and miscarriages increase.

The transmission of the virus depends on many factors. The stage of pregnancy is directly related to herpes. If the expectant woman has primary venereal herpes at some point in her first trimester, then the chances of infection to the baby are reduced. This is due to the fact that the buildup of antibodies complementary to the virus takes about four weeks. So if this disease materializes at the start of pregnancy, the antibodies are already present and the body has developed an effective immune response towards herpes. These antibodies have the ability to pass the placenta and thus make the child immune to the disease. If this is the case, mothers can have the usual vaginal delivery. When the fetus gets in contact with the sores, there is a possibility that the newborn could be infected.

The case becomes altogether different if the woman is infected near about the second or third trimester. If the woman has had no history of the disease before and if this is confirmed by the relevant blood tests then a caesarian delivery is recommended by the medical experts. This, as mentioned above, is due to the inability of the body to develop an efficacious immune response in such a short span of time. The chances of transmission, if a normal delivery is done in these cases, are very high.

Prevention is better than cure. And in case of genital herpes it is easier too. The transmission of the Herpes virus from an infected mother to an infant should be prevented. Special care also needs to be taken by the mothers that they do not contract this disease during the critical time of pregnancy. However, one positive thing about the mothers that are long exposed to herpes virus is that their babies develop an inborn defense against herpes. This is because herpes antibodies pass from the placenta to the fetus during pregnancy, which protects the babies from obtaining this disease all through their birth.

Sparing one’s child from the horrendous effects of genital herpes is, thus, not an arduous task. Precautionary measures have been tested and have yielded satisfying results. All that is required is strict regulations on the part of the mother to make pregnancy an enjoyable experience.