Research

Research

C-Section Deliveries Decrease Herpes Transmission

Caesarian section deliveries make it less likely that a mother with genital herpes lesions will infect her infant. A study, published in the Jan. 8, 2003, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, helped clarify the risk factors for women transmitting herpes simplex virus (HSV) to their infants during birth.

The lead authors included Dr. Zane Brown, professor of obstetrics and gynecology; Dr. Lawrence Corey, professor of medicine and pediatrics; and Dr. Anna Wald, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In the 18-year cohort study, researchers analyzed 48,390 deliveries at UW Medical Center and Madigan Army Medical Center where HSV blood tests were routinely performed as a part of deliveries.

Surprisingly, researchers learned that women whose blood showed no HSV antibodies were at the highest risk of transmitting the infection to their children. This high rate, one in 1,900 cases, reflects the high efficiency with which the virus can be transmitted by women who have had HSV for only a short time.

The researchers recommended HSV antibody testing for the mother and her partner during early pregnancy, as well as counseling against having unprotected sex during the final trimester.