Neonatal herpes simplex virus is a rare but serious disease transmitted from mother to newborn child during birth, although 10% of cases are acquired postnatally. Neonatal herpes manifests itself in three forms:

• SEM Herpes- which affect the skin eyes and mouth and has the best prognosis.
• Disseminated Herpes (DIS)- which infects internal organs (primarily the liver)
• Central Nervous System Herpes (CNS)- which involves the nervous system and brain, possibly leading to encephalitis.

CNS has the highest morbidity when treated because Disseminated herpes has a higher mortality rate. SEM herpes untreated, may spread to internal organs and result in mortality or morbidity. The mortality rate from neonatal HSV disease in the US is steadily decreasing due to antiviral therapy while the morbidity rate still remains high because of the inability to diagnose and treat prenatally.