paranoier about herpes

[star fish]

There was a girl at Uni with me who had a baby that picked up herpes on its way down the birth canal and within hours went blind and deaf and then died at 6 weeks. She didnt know she had genital herpes as the sores were on the inside.

Not meaning to scare anyone but is anyone else worried about this?

I got checked for everything whilst ttc, but not for herpes, I asked and they said they dont do it.

Now, i dont think I have herpes, but how would I really know? I do get the odd lump down town, but I think its an ingrowing hair most times as it seems to occur only a few days after waxing or shaving.

Some people only get an outbreak very occasionally and what if it is now? I know my chances against are good but is there any test i can ask them to do to be sure?

 

[pinkyprincess]

They test you for all that at your booking in appt (well our hospital do) check your midwife hasn't already?

 

[star fish]

No, midwife hasnt. Is it a blood test or a visual test or what?

 

[Franna75]

If you already have herpes then your body makes antibodies for the baby. The danger comes if you contract herpes when you are pregnant (more so in second and third trimester). The majority of women don't sleep around when they are pregnant and one would hope peoples OHs don't either.....but...(also OHs may have contracted it before current partner and not had a flare up for a while).

Then it is only if you have an active flare up which you can not predict. If you are worried then you could get a blood test, but they are not always accurate. If you are worried about a sore then they can take a swab. You can also take anti virals which can ward off an outbreak.

Speak to your GP and if you do feel anything down there. Ingrowing hairs are very common with waxing, I had a corker the other day.

Try not to worry, my brother told me a similar story just before my LO was born; it worried me quite a bit as I was convinced my partner was up to no good (although my hormones played a part in that).

 

[star fish]

Thanks Franna, thats quite reasurring as I'm 100% that neither myself or my partner would have managed to pick it up during my pregnancy. But then how did this girl from my uni not have an immunised baby? She already had the herpes before the pregnancy

 

[Franna75]

"They" say that if you have already had a primary outbreak then your body starts to produce antibodies thus if you get pregnant after or infected in early pregnancy your baby will be OK...maybe she had something that stopped her producing antibodies herself, there are alway exceptions to the rule.

Had she already been diagnosed her Drs notes should have reflected this and precautions should/could have been taken. Maybe they missed it. Its up to the individual to let the Drs/midwife know. From what I have read it is very rare for complications to occur in a baby who's mother already has the virus.

HSV 1 (cold sore) and HSV2 (genital) can both have fatal outcomes if caught by infants who don't have antibodies. The latter being more dangerous.

BTW this is just my opinion from research that I have done as I like you was worried (after being told the story by my brother). If in doubt medical advice should be saught.

In this country "herpes" is almost a taboo subject - in the States there is a lot higher rate of people carrying both 1 and 2 and it is talked about freely and antivirals are frequently advertised on TV. Many women have vaginal births who are carriers.