NEONATAL HERPES-SIMPLEX - CLINICAL FINDINGS AND OUTCOME IN RELATION TO TYPE OF MATERNAL INFECTION

In 39 mothers of children with neonatal herpes simplex virus infection , maternal infection was serologically characterized retrospectively a nd was related to maternal clinical symptoms and to the clinical findi ngs and outcome in the child. Thirteen mothers had a primary infection (six type 1, seven type 2), mostly with clinical symptoms. The mean a ge of onset of the disease of the infants was 7 days and a disseminate d disease was most commonly found. Most of the type 1-infected childre n recovered completely, whereas all but one of the type 2-infected chi ldren died. Twenty mothers had a recurrent (2 type 1, 18 type 2) and 4 an intermediate infection (primary type 2, prior infection with type 1), mostly asymptomatic. Their children had a localized disease (of th e skin-eye-mouth or the central nervous system) with onset at a mean a ge of 14 or 13 days, respectively. The frequency of neurological seque lae was high. Two mothers had no serological signs of herpes infection .