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4/14/2025
Lisa Robinson
630-626-6084
lrobinson@aap.org
An analysis of rates of diagnoses of neonatal herpes simplex virus infections in the United States found a 42% increase in diagnoses of the virus from 2006 to 2019. Infants born in the Southern region of the country were over twice as likely to contract the virus than infants born in the Western region of the country where rates are at their lowest. The study, “The Incidence of Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infections in the United States: 2019,” published in the May 2025 Pediatrics, (published online April 14), found that, in 2019, over 15 out of 100,000 infants born in hospitals were born with neonatal herpes simplex virus. The care that goes into treating this illness would cost the U.S. an estimated $116.9 million in hospitalization charges. Non-Hispanic Black infants and those born in Southern states were more likely to be diagnosed with neonatal herpes simplex virus. Infants whose parents used public insurance were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed than those infants born to parents using private insurance. Infants born to parents using public insurance accounted for nearly 72% of the 561 infants studied. Authors cited factors including improved diagnostic tools of herpes simplex virus infections as a potential reason for the increase in cases since 2006, with lack of access to prenatal care for those on public insurance contributing to the disparities identified. Authors suggest that increased access to prenatal care and continued education in areas where herpes simplex virus infections are more common could help lower rates.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
4/14/2025
Lisa Robinson
630-626-6084
lrobinson@aap.org