Prognosis | Herpes

Prognosis

A herpes infection in infancy or childhood is in many cases much more serious than in adulthood, since it is usually a primary infection and the baby’s organism comes into contact with the virus for the first time. The babies can get an infection with the herpes simplex virus type 1 or 2, although they are rarely responsible for it themselves. On the one hand, the transmission of the viruses (especially type 1) can take place after birth through a smear infection (e.g. kissing, cuddling, transmission via hands etc.

), but on the other hand the viruses can also be transmitted to the newborn during birth (especially type 2, but also type 1). This happens when the newborn baby passes through the birth canal during a vaginal birth. However, if an expectant mother suffers an initial infection with a herpes virus during pregnancy, this can lead to a so-called viremia and a direct transmission of the virus via the placenta to the unborn child, although this is rare.

The last two cases can then in individual cases be accompanied by serious, possibly life-threatening symptoms such as: However, due to good diagnostics, infections of the mother during pregnancy can in most cases be detected in time, so that the infection of the newborn can then be prevented and therefore occurs only very rarely. In addition, a severe form of the disease is rather rare if the newborn is infected in the womb or birth canal (only blisters on the skin, fever and lethargy).

  • Sepsis-like conditions (blood poisoning)
  • Eyes/mouth participation
  • Skin exanthema (rash
  • Fever and vomiting
  • Infestation of brain (herpes encephalitis) lungs liver kidneys, spleen etc.
  • Brain (Herpes encephalitis)
  • Lung
  • Liver
  • Kidneys,
  • Spleen
  • Etc.
  • Brain (Herpes encephalitis)
  • Lung
  • Liver
  • Kidneys,
  • Spleen
  • Etc.