Update on Neonatal Herpes Simplex Epidemiology in the Netherlands: A Health Problem of Increasing Concern?

This article provides an update on the incidence of neonatal herpes, guideline adherence by health care professionals (HCP) and trends in genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection during pregnancy in the Netherlands. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to all hospitals inquiring about numbers and characteristics of neonatal and maternal HSV infections, and guideline adherence between 2012 and 2015. Longitudinal trends were investigated from 1999 onward using survey data and Perinatal Registry of the Netherlands data (Perined). Trends were smoothed with Poisson regression splines. Risk indicators for neonatal and maternal HSV infections were examined with Poisson regression analyses. Results: Neonatal herpes incidence was 4.8/100,000 live births based on survey data (2012–2015) and 3.4/100,000 based on Perined (2012–2014). Mortality rate was 23% (7/30). Neonatal herpes incidence increased slightly over time as did the prevalence of genital HSV infection among pregnant women. Non-Western ethnicity (Rate Ratio: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.5–2.5) and age
Source: The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Maternal-Neonatal Reports Source Type: research