Does Herpes Cause Problems During Pregnancy?
Having HSV-1 or HSV-2 increases the risk of having a miscarriage during pregnancy, having premature labor and it also increases the possibility that your baby could have serious complications if exposed the virus. Between 20 and 25% of all pregnant women may have herpes, but of those, only about 0.01% will experience complications dring the pregnancy itself. If the mother is having her first outbreak while she is pregnant, she is more likely to pass the virus to her baby. If the outbreak is not the first one, the baby’s risk of getting the virus is very low. If you get herpes during the first trimester of pregnancy, it’s unlikely you will have any serious problems. Your body will produce antibodies to the HSV-2 and those antibodies will get passed on to the baby and provide some protection. If you already have HSV2, then as soon as you get pregnant you would also hand off antibodies to your as yet unborn child. If you have HSV-1, the antibodies are not thought to offer as much protecti
