Herpes is a disease that can affect anyone, anytime, anywhere in a manner that no one can escape unless they took necessary precautions. The disheartening truth is that even innocent children can be tainted with a serious viral disease that can be fatal to them. But I know that parents of these infected children did everything they can to protect them against the ailment. Besides, only a fool of a mother would want their kids exposed to harm right? I was eating breakfast this morning with my family while watching the usual morning show when a certain new report caught our attention. It stated that getting the viral disease during pregnancy can bring disastrous effects to the newborn child especially to the last trimester. This condition is called neonatal herpes wherein there is a heightened danger to a baby when a mother acquires the disease in the late phase of her pregnancy because there is a lack of time for mothers to form antibodies that will protect the fetus inside the womb against the disease. Babies have a few source of antibodies to fight the infection but then again, it's
immune system is still young that they are still vulnerable to acquiring the sickness.
I immediately stared at my elder sister who works in a hospital in Syracuse, New York as a pediatrician. She just nodded her head to say that such a thing can happen, unfortunately, to children as young as a week old. Devastating as it may seem, she said that most hospitals today are routinely checking if mothers have German measles, genital herpes, or orals herpes that may cause harm to their
bundle of joy. If I remember clearly, I think my sister said that they are doing a series of research for pregnant mothers infected by the disease if they can provide them a series of vaccine or certain medication.
