Neonatal herpes

Neonatal herpes is herpes simplex virus infection in an infant during the first weeks of life. It is usually acquired around birth from a person with genital herpes.

Herpes simplex virus: Herpes simplex viruses are DNA viruses that cause oral, genital, and other infections in humans. These viruses cause neonatal herpes, most often through exposure to genital infection during birth.
Acyclovir: Acyclovir is an antiviral medicine that inhibits replication of herpes simplex and several other herpesviruses. Intravenous acyclovir is the standard treatment for suspected or confirmed neonatal herpes.
Genital herpes: Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection most commonly caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 or type 1. It is the usual source of virus reaching an infant during birth.
Neonatal mortality: Neonatal mortality is the death of an infant within the first 28 days after birth. Untreated disseminated or central nervous system herpes can be fatal.
Intrapartum transmission: Intrapartum transmission is the transfer of an infectious agent from parent to infant during labor and birth. Exposure to virus in the birth canal is the most common route of neonatal infection.
Neonatal sepsis evaluation: A neonatal sepsis evaluation investigates possible serious infection in a newborn using clinical assessment and laboratory tests. Herpes may resemble bacterial sepsis, so evaluation can include HSV testing and prompt antiviral treatment.
Herpes simplex virus type 1: Herpes simplex virus type 1 is a virus that commonly causes oral herpes and can also cause genital infection. HSV-1 genital infection can also be transmitted to newborns.
Developmental disability: Developmental disability is a lasting limitation in intellectual or adaptive functioning that begins during development. Brain injury from neonatal herpes can lead to lasting developmental impairment.
Transplacental transmission: Transplacental transmission is the passage of an infectious agent across the placenta from pregnant person to fetus. Unlike infection acquired during birth, this uncommon route can infect the fetus before delivery.
Polymerase chain reaction: Polymerase chain reaction is a laboratory method that amplifies targeted DNA sequences for detection and analysis. HSV PCR can detect viral DNA in cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and lesion samples.

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