Babies may become infected with the herpes virus during birth if the mother has the disease. Even when the mother is asymptomatic, she may still be shedding the virus and make her baby susceptible to the illness. The disease is most often passed from mother to newborn when the mother's infection is newly acquired during the last trimester of pregnancy. A Cesarean section or use of antiviral drugs can lower the risk of infection but do not eliminate it entirely. Infants who develop symptoms of herpes should be immediately treated with the antiviral medication acyclovir to prevent the infection from developing further.
Localized Herpes Symptoms
Some babies who are infected with herpes develop a localized infection. This is the most mild form of birth-acquired herpes and has symptoms of small fluid-filled blisters on the skin, mouth or eyes of the baby. These may appear immediately after birth or up to four weeks later, but in most cases, symptoms develop one to two weeks after birth, according to BabyCenter. Blisters are most common in areas that have incurred small wounds or abrasions, such as at the wrist where the wrist band is attached. The blisters eventually burst and scab over, often leaving a scar after they heal.
Central Nervous System Herpes Symptoms
Babies who acquire herpes and have it travel to the central nervous system develop more serious symptoms than those affected only externally. These babies will exhibit signs of irritability, fever, lethargy and poor feeding that begin between two and three weeks after birth. Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can cause seizures, is another symptom of herpes that may develop in these infants. Most of these babies first exhibit signs of localized herpes before the infection spreads to the central nervous system, but this is not always the case.
Disseminated Herpes Symptoms
Disseminated herpes is the most dangerous type for babies and occurs when the herpes spreads to multiple organ systems across the body. There may be no symptoms of this type of herpes at first, or the baby may have skin lesions that resemble a localized herpes infection. Later, symptoms may appear as the herpes infects the liver, kidneys, lungs or brain and these organs begin to show signs of swelling. Sometimes the first symptom to appear is organ failure, but most of these babies will start showing signs of poor feeding, lethargy, a low grade fever or irritability before that occurs. Other symptoms of disseminated herpes may include bleeding easily, breathing difficulties, jaundice, blue tinged appearance or low body temperature.
