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Acquisition of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection during pregnancy is worrisome because of the potential risks to the newborn. This large prospective study offers reassurance about the extent of the risk.
Investigators identified 7,046 pregnant women considered at risk for herpes because they were seronegative for antibodies to HSV types 1 and 2 at the first prenatal visit. Of these women, 94 became seropositive during pregnancy (overall seroconversion rate in susceptible women, 2%). Symptoms occurred in only 34 women (36%), of whom 32 had genital herpes. About one third of the infections were acquired per trimester. The frequency of complications did not differ significantly between the infants of 94 mothers who seroconverted and those of…