Role of Cesarean Delivery in Preventing Neonatal Herpes Virus Infection FREE

Ronald S. Gibbs, MD; Marvin S. Amstey, MD; Dennis C. Lezotte, PhD

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JAMA. 1993;270(1):94-95. doi:10.1001/jama.1993.03510010100039

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References

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

For the past 30 years our incomplete understanding of perinatally acquired herpes infections has resulted in controversy. The lack of adequate data led to practice recommendations that have recently been changed regarding patients with recurrent herpes infection.^1,2 We now recognize that most cases of neonatal herpes infections are not preventable with current approaches.³

From the late 1960s until the mid 1980s, the practice recommendation to prevent neonatal herpes consisted of performing weekly herpes cultures of the lower genital tract in women with a previous history of herpes followed by a cesarean delivery if lesions were present or if cultures were positive at the time of delivery. This practice recommendation was based on a small series of retrospectively gathered cases⁴ and was generated without detailed knowledge of the natural history of genital or neonatal herpes (eg, differences between primary episode, nonprimary first episode, and recurrent episodes; and rates

REFERENCES

ABSTRACT | REFERENCES

Perinatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infections . Washington, DC: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; November 1988;. ACOG technical bulletin 122.

Gibbs RS, Amstey MS, Sweet RL, Mead PB, Sever JL. Management of genital herpes infection. Obstet Gynecol . 1988;;71:779-780.

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Arvin AM, Hensleigh PA, Prober CG, et al. Failure of antepartum maternal cultures to predict the infant's risk of exposure to herpes simplex virus at delivery. N Engl J Med . 1986;;315:796-800.

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Scott L, Jackson G, Sanchez P, Castaneda Y, Hall M, Wendl G. Prevention of cesarean section for recurrent genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) using acyclovir suppressive therapy. In: Program and abstracts of the 40th annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation; March 31-April 3,1993; Toronto, Ontario. Abstract 5223.

Brown ZA, Vontver LA, Benedetti J, et al. Effects on infants of a first episode of genital herpes during pregnancy. N Engl J Med . 1987;;317:1246-1251.

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