One of the major risks a pregnant woman should avoid is a herpes infection.
According to SpecialEdPost.com, “Causes of cerebral palsy include (herpes virus) infection in early pregnancy, a difficult or premature birth, bleeding in the baby’s brain and abnormal brain development.”
Mothers can transfer the herpes virus to their unborn child during pregnancy.
This can lead to the child developing Cerebral Palsy. Such a case was reported in an article by SpecialEdPost.com, a site dedicated to news for the special education community. (1)
The mother developed “strange blisters when she was 35-weeks pregnant.” (1)
“I didn’t have any other symptoms. I suppose I felt quite tired but I was heavily pregnant and I had developed high blood pressure so it seemed natural I wouldn’t feel great.” – Ms. Birtwistle (1)
Her son Lucas was born through caesarian section, and soon after began screaming a particularly high pitched wail. “The doctor said ‘Is that the scream he is making each time?’ and I said it was. At that point he said my baby needed to be taken to intensive care,’ remembered Mr Birtwistle.
“What Ms Birtwistle didn’t know was that the sudden shrieks were a sign of infant seizure.” (1)
In fact, a short time later, HSV-1 the herpes strain responsible for cold sores, was found in Lucas’s body. The virus caused the Cerebral Palsy in Lucas.
Anyone thinking of becoming a parent should remember that Cerebral Palsy can be caused by the herpes virus attacking the baby inside the womb.
As WebMD notes, Cerebral Palsy can be caused by a herpes infection in the mother during pregnancy. “It is present at birth, although it may not be detected for months.” (2) Moreover, another study says that “Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a devastating infection in the neonatal patient.” (3)
The bottom line?
As Dr. Lipsitch and colleagues wrote, “such infections affect an estimated 400 newborns each year, with serious consequences.” (3) Dr. Lipsitch is from the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
References:
(1) Reilly, R. “Pregnant mother was told her rash was just an insect bite. But itchy bumps were HERPES which gave her unborn baby meningitis and cerebral palsy” – Published 17 July 2013 – dailymail.co.uk
(2) WebMD.com – Brain & Nervous System Health Center – Understanding Cerebral Palsy — the Basics
(3) Lipsitch M1, Davis G, Corey L. “Potential benefits of a serodiagnostic test for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) to prevent neonatal HSV-1 infection.” Sex Transm Dis. 2002 Jul;29(7):399-405.