I heard that if a woman has genital herpes and she gets pregnant the baby will have neutological defects?

Even if it is delivered via c-section. Is this true?

I don't have herpes.. well, i do but it's HVS1 and it's on my lips, not my genitals. My fiance also has it on his lips. I'm just wondering, since there is a minute risk of infection of the genitals during oral sex, if i get it on my genitals, will it hurt the baby?

I've also read that if both people have the same strain of the herpes virus on the lips, they can't be REinfected on their genitals. Is this the case?

Yes and no.

Just having herpes while you are pregnant doesn't put your infant at risk. Your herpes won't spread to the baby, and it won't cause any birth defects.

If the baby does catch herpes when it is born (which would not be a risk with a c-section) or if it catches herpes when it is very very young, the herpes virus can cause big problems with the infant. Apparently, the baby is just too young and its immune system too undeveloped to deal with the disease.

For more information on herpes and pregnancy, I'd strongly recommend the website below (which is where I got my information). It will give you reliable information that you can trust (unlike Y!A).

Good question.

I don鈥檛 know the answer, but I do have some information pertaining to this question. First, I suspect neurological defects are pretty rare if the doctor is aware of the condition and would no doubt start prophylactic therapy.

Also, the fact that standard protocol is that cesarean delivery should be performed on women with recurrent herpes infection who have active genital lesions or prodromal symptoms at delivery, but not in women with no active lesions or prodromal symptoms during labor, indicates that passing through an infected birth canal is a major risk factor.

However, is passing through an infected birth canal the main factor for neonatal infection? I鈥檓 not sure because I recall 鈥淭ORCHES鈥?being a mnemonic for a group of infections that in a pregnant woman can lead to fetal infection. They are a group of viral, and rarely bacterial infections, which gain access to the fetal bloodstream transplacentally via the chorionic villi.

T 鈥?Toxoplasmosis
O 鈥?Other agents, such as Varicella zoster virus and human parvovirus
R 鈥?Rubella
C 鈥?Cytomegalovirus
HE 鈥?HErpes simplex virus / HIV
S 鈥?Syphilis

Since Herpes is on this list, I suppose it could cause fetal infection via blood even with a c-section. Does this really happen or is it common? I have no idea. Very good question 鈥?ask a doctor.

You can cause damage to the baby if you are having an outbreak at time of delivery. The doctor will then do a c section and this will prevent any problems. When the baby is delivered via c section they do not pass through the birth canal and this prevents them from coming in contact with the virus.

I've heard that if a female has a baby and they have herpes that it can be transmitted to the child. But i don't think it matters on what type of birth it was, though.

&& i HEARD that some STd's can cause neurological defects..But iunno about Herpes

Oral herpes(HSV1) CAN be transmitted to the gentials. If a woman does have genital herpes and has recently acquired it, or is having an outbreak at the time of delivery, then the baby will be delivered by c-section to reduce the chances of transmitting it to the baby. In about 90% of cases, neonatal herpes is transmitted when an infant comes into contact with HSV- 1 or 2 in the birth canal during delivery. There is a high risk of transmission if the mother has an active outbreak, because the likelihood of viral shedding during an outbreak is high. There is also a small risk of transmission from asymptomatic shedding (when the virus reactivates without causing any symptoms).

Fortunately, babies of mothers with long-standing herpes infections have a natural protection against the virus. Herpes antibodies in the mother's blood cross the placenta to the fetus. These antibodies help protect the baby from acquiring infection during birth, even if there is some virus in the birth canal. That's the major reason that mothers with recurrent genital herpes rarely transmit herpes to their babies during delivery. Even women who acquire genital herpes during the first two trimesters of pregnancy are usually able to supply sufficient antibody to help protect the fetus.

Hope this helps!