What would happen if a baby got herpes during delivery or as a newborn?

About 30% of the time, newborn herpes affects a baby’s skin, eyes, or mouth, but will usually spare his other organs. He may have sores at delivery or develop them up to four weeks later. Herpes outbreak will usually happen up within the first 2 weeks.

Herpes lesions generally look like blisters and often appear where there has been a small break in the skin or any trauma — like the wrist area where a name tag was tied or where an electrode was placed to monitor his pulse rate. If your baby has herpes that’s restricted to the skin, eyes, and mouth and received prompt treatment with intravenous acyclovir, he’ll will not develop any complication. Research showed that 90 percent and more of babies with such form of herpes developed normally. Some babies, however, have serious recurrent outbreaks or long-term problems. If left untreated or treated late, a baby has herpes lon skin, eyes, and mouth can develop an even more serious form of herpes.

Some newborns whose central nervous system are affected will develop symptoms such as irritability, fever, lethargy, poor feeding, or seizures at 2-3 weeks old. Other newborns might get disseminated herpes, which involves multiple organs like the lungs and liver. Disseminated herpes typically shows up during the first week after birth and the babies may or may not have skin lesions. These forms of herpes can be very harsh to newborns and even with prompt treatments, some babies will die. While survivors will end up with serious long-term health and developmental complications.

Additional Reading: Stop Herpes Now & From Coming Back for Good by Dr David Hogg

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