If a woman has an active case of genital herpes at the time she is ready to deliver her baby
A) the doctor will swab her birth canal with an antibiotic during the second stage of labor.
B) the doctor will induce labor in the eighth month of the pregnancy.
C) the baby is usually delivered by cesarean section rather than through a vaginal delivery.
D) it is unlikely that the infant will survive the delivery.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a woman has an active case of genital herpes at the time of delivery, the risk of passing the virus to the baby during delivery is high. The most effective way to prevent transmission is by delivering the baby by cesarean section before the membranes rupture or the mother goes into labor. Swabbing the birth canal with an antibiotic during labor (option A) has not been proven to decrease the risk of transmission. Inducing labor in the eighth month (option B) does not reduce the risk of transmission and may increase the risk of complications for both the mother and baby. It is not true that it is unlikely that the infant will survive (option D) as most infants born to mothers with genital herpes do not acquire the infection. However, those who do can develop serious and potentially life-threatening complications.

If a Woman Has an Active Case of Genital Herpes