Q: Is there a way to prevent the spread of herpes from mother to child during pregnancy?

A: A study was done in California (Obstet Gynecol 1996;88:603-10) which showed that giving a medication called 'acyclovir' late into a pregnancy may often prevent herpes infection in the baby. The treatment consists of 200 mg of acyclovir taken five times a day for 7-10 days.