First ever attack during early pregnancy:
If you have your first ever attack of herpes during early pregnancy, you may be given antiviral drugs (aciclovir) to clear up the infection before the baby is born. There is no evidence of any risk to the baby from these drugs.
First attack in the later stages of pregnancy:
If you have any active genital herpes sores in the later stages of pregnancy (the last six weeks) there is a 40-50% risk that you will pass the virus to your baby. This means the baby will carry the virus.
You may need to take antiviral drugs (aciclovir) for the last four weeks of your pregnancy to try to clear up the sores before the baby is born. There is no evidence of any risk to the baby from these drugs.
It is likely you will have a Caesarean section so that your baby does not come into contact with the sores.
There is also a very rare chance your baby will develop a condition called neonatal herpes. This only affects 1-2 in 100,000 babies but can cause various complications including damage to the skin, eyes and brain.
Recurrent attack during pregnancy:
If you have an attack of herpes during pregnancy but it 's not your first attack, there is a much smaller risk of your baby being infected (8%) because you and your baby have already had a chance to develop immunity to the virus. Caesarean section is not normally considered unless you have symptoms of genital herpes.
Breastfeeding:
Speak to your midwife about breastfeeding if you have active herpes.
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