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  • Title: [Herpes simplex infection in pregnant women and newborn infants].
    Author: Møller BR.
    Journal: Ugeskr Laeger; 1994 Nov 28; 156(48):7189-92. PubMed ID: 7817425.
    Abstract:
    The incidence of genital herpes infection is increasing. About 50% of infections in women are asymptomatic. Neonatal infection is the most serious complication of genital HSV-infection, the mortality being 70% if untreated. The incidence of asymptomatic HSV-infection in pregnant women at the time of giving birth is 0.2%. These women cannot be identified on the basis of clinical symptoms and medical history, and the diagnostic methods currently in use are not sufficiently sensitive for the screening of low risk groups. Pregnant women with primary HSV-infection shed larger quantities of virus than women with recurrent infection, furthermore the foetus has not received passive immunisation by maternal antibody transfer. There is an increased risk of miscarriage, intrauterine infection and premature birth in connection with primary HSV-infection in pregnancy. Almost 50% of children born to mothers with primary HSV-infection at the time of birth become infected neonatally, compared with only 2-5% of children born to mothers with active recurrent HSV-infection. Recommendations are given for monitoring primary HSV-infection in the third trimester with viral cultures, monitoring recurrent HSV-infections clinically and indications for when delivery should be by caesarean section. Children born to women with active primary HSV-infection should be treated with antiviral agents. Children born to women with recurrent infection should have their secretions cultured for HSV.
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