Caesarean birth
Fetal scalp electrodes in labour
Antiviral medications
Natural therapies
Caesarean birth
In the past, a routine Caesarean operation was often advised for women with a history of genital herpes. A Caesarean is now only usually recommended if the woman is aware of having
prodromal symptoms in labour or the actual herpes sores that can be seen. While the recurrence of herpes outbreaks normally increase as the pregnancy progresses, only about 10 - 14% of women will have an active lesion at the time of labour and birth. The odds are higher for women who acquire herpes during pregnancy, and lower for women who have had herpes for more than six years.
There are some caregivers who believe that women who acquire herpes in the last three months of their pregnancy should have a Caesarean section when the baby is due. However again, the general recommendation is usually for a vaginal birth, unless the woman is experiencing an active outbreak. If the woman is experiencing an outbreak and her waters break before labour starts, a Caesarean may be recommended within 4 hours of the waters breaking.
Women who know they have genital herpes can be at an advantage. This is because they are familiar with the symptoms of an outbreak and sores can be looked for during early labour. Knowing where the sores normally appear can help the caregiver identify any small active lesions. The normal procedure would be for the caregiver to inspect the vaginal area with a strong light, and possibly take a viral swab test to send to the
pathologist, in case the baby becomes ill in the days after the birth. If sores can be seen, then a Caesarean birth will probably be recommended.
Caesareans do not absolutely protect babies from contracting the herpes virus. In various studies, between 16% and 30% of infants infected with neonatal herpes were born by Caesarean section. In most of these cases the Caesareans were performed after the waters had broken.