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Can Child Be Effected By Accidental Contact Of Genital Herpes?
Question: My 21 month old son sleeps with us in bed. I have genital herpes is there any way he can get herpes of the eye or coldsores on the mouth or any herpes? If for example (worst case scenario): my husband touches me during an outbreak and then minutes later touches my baby on the face? or my husband gives me oral sex and then moments later kisses baby on head? Hopefully the worst case scenario hasn't happened. But I've had outbreak after outbreak and now I'm on acyclovir everyday to prevent them but in the last year I've had a lot of outbreaks.
Brief Answer:
spread by contact
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Herpes is spread by contact with the lesions.
Herpes 1 most commonly cause oral infections and herpes 2, genital infections but it is possible for it to be vice versa.
It is possible that if contact is made with lesions and then to the baby's face that he can become infected. The risk of transmission can be reduced by washing hands or cleaning of the face after any intimacy.
Herpes can sometimes be transmitted asymptomatically (person has no symptoms at the time) but this risk is significantly reduced with the use of anti viral medications such as acyclovir.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
spread by contact
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Herpes is spread by contact with the lesions.
Herpes 1 most commonly cause oral infections and herpes 2, genital infections but it is possible for it to be vice versa.
It is possible that if contact is made with lesions and then to the baby's face that he can become infected. The risk of transmission can be reduced by washing hands or cleaning of the face after any intimacy.
Herpes can sometimes be transmitted asymptomatically (person has no symptoms at the time) but this risk is significantly reduced with the use of anti viral medications such as acyclovir.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
There's probably no way to know this, but is it something that is highly likely to happen (transmission to baby)? There have probably only been 3 times that my husband touched him after sex. From now on I will never let it happen, but I'm just so sick over this. My anxiety is through the roof.
Brief Answer:
may be fine
Detailed Answer:
HI
It is understandable to be concerned.
It is difficult to estimate the risk of transmission to your son but if the contact was a weeks previously and he has no signs or symptoms , it is quite possible that he does not the virus.
The incubation period is less than 2 weeks (time from exposure to symptoms) so if the last contact was more than 2 weeks ago and there are no symptoms , chances are he is fine.
Please feel free to ask anything else
may be fine
Detailed Answer:
HI
It is understandable to be concerned.
It is difficult to estimate the risk of transmission to your son but if the contact was a weeks previously and he has no signs or symptoms , it is quite possible that he does not the virus.
The incubation period is less than 2 weeks (time from exposure to symptoms) so if the last contact was more than 2 weeks ago and there are no symptoms , chances are he is fine.
Please feel free to ask anything else
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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