Neonatal herpes is primarily transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth. The risk of transmission is higher if the mother has an active herpes infection at the time of delivery. Transmission can occur through direct contact with herpes lesions in the genital tract or through infected fluids. There are three main types of neonatal herpes: skin, eye, and mouth (SEM) disease, central nervous system (CNS) disease, and disseminated disease.
