A pregnant woman has a positive history of genital herpes but has not had lesions during this pregnancy. What should the nurse plan to tell the client?

A pregnant woman has a positive history of genital herpes but has not had lesions during this pregnancy. What should the nurse plan to tell the client?

• A. You will be isolated from your newborn infant after delivery.
• B. Vaginal deliveries can reduce neonatal infection risks, even if you have an active lesion at the time.
• C. There is little risk to your newborn infant during this pregnancy, during the birth, and after delivery.
• D. You will be evaluated at the time of delivery for genital lesions, and if any are present, a cesarean delivery will be needed.

Answer: (D)

Delivery planning for genital herpes hinges on whether active lesions are present at birth. The newborn is at risk when the virus is shed in the birth canal during labor, so the safest approach is to assess for genital lesions at the time of delivery and decide the mode of birth accordingly. If lesions or prodromal symptoms are present, cesarean delivery is indicated to prevent neonatal exposure. If no lesions are present and there are no prodromal signs, vaginal delivery can proceed, since the risk to the newborn is much lower. In this scenario, the patient has a history of genital herpes but no lesions during this pregnancy, so the plan is to evaluate for lesions at delivery and, if any are present, perform a cesarean. This approach reflects the need to tailor the delivery method to the current status of the infection, balancing safe birth with minimizing neonatal risk.

Delivery planning for genital herpes hinges on whether active lesions are present at birth. The newborn is at risk when the virus is shed in the birth canal during labor, so the safest approach is to assess for genital lesions at the time of delivery and decide the mode of birth accordingly. If lesions or prodromal symptoms are present, cesarean delivery is indicated to prevent neonatal exposure. If no lesions are present and there are no prodromal signs, vaginal delivery can proceed, since the risk to the newborn is much lower.

In this scenario, the patient has a history of genital herpes but no lesions during this pregnancy, so the plan is to evaluate for lesions at delivery and, if any are present, perform a cesarean. This approach reflects the need to tailor the delivery method to the current status of the infection, balancing safe birth with minimizing neonatal risk.